TMJ or temporomandibular joint syndrome can be caused by trauma, deterioration through aging, diseases like arthritis and force of habit. Knowing the causes is good so that preventive measures can be taken. But what if you are already experiencing the headaches and the neck pains? How will you know if you have TMJ? Is there are way to diagnose yourself in the comforts of your home?

There are ways to diagnose TMJ without having to resort to a dentist or an orthodontist. However, it is best that if the questions asked are mostly answered with a ‘yes,’ then a visit to the specialist should be scheduled, and soon.

Here are some ways to determine if you may have TMJ:

• When you open and close your jaws, do you feel popping in the jaw joints, or hear clicking sounds?

• When opening wide and then closing the mouth, are there times when it is difficult to do so?

• Have you ever had major trauma on the jaw?

• Do you have ear pains or experience ringing of the ears (tinnitus)?

• Do you grind you teeth, be it consciously or unconsciously?

• When eating, is there pain experienced while chewing?

• When trying to align your jaw in front of the mirror, are your teeth misaligned?

• Do you feel that your jaws feel sore after chewing excessively, like on chewing gums?

• Are there inexplicable cheek pains or headaches that focus on the temples to the point of nausea?

• Is it difficult trying to open your jaws fully?

• Have you ever experienced your jaws locking?

• Are you arthritic?

• Do you frequently feel headaches or neck pain that seems to have no triggers?

When answering the questions above and most of the answers are ‘yes,’ then most probably you have TMJ. It is time to go to the orthodontist and get immediate treatment. TMJ is treatable and controllable, ask your orthodontist for which treatment is best for you. These treatments are all dependent on the severity of the symptoms and once treatment is started, recovery is faster. There may have to be prescription medicines given which should be followed carefully.