If you experience frequent unexplained sounds in your ears such as humming, ringing, or buzzing, you could be suffering from a common condition called tinnitus. While tinnitus has many causes, it is most commonly associated with aging, and becomes more common as we age.
Unfortunately, there are other times in our life that we may experience tinnitus, such as after an ear injury, or in some cases, due to temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder for short.
TMJ disorder is a condition of the jaw, where the TMJ joint slips in and out of the jaw bone, causing pain, including headaches, jaw pain, neck, and back pain. It can also cause a popping sensation when opening and closing the jaw or chewing, a clicking sound, or even teeth grinding, which leads to chipped and cracked teeth. It can even cause TMJ disorder.
TMJ disorder is more commonly found in those assigned female at birth, within childbearing years, as is TMJ disorder-related tinnitus. This is much younger than the usual tinnitus patient, and can be seen as a red flag of sorts that you could be experiencing temporomandibular joint disorder symptoms.
So, how does a condition of the jaw affect the ears? While experts aren’t 100 percent sure, they do suspect it has to do with the jaw’s proximity to the ears.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus, but thankfully for those with temporomandibular joint disorder, there is treatment for TMJ disorder, which studies have shown can make a vast improvement in all TMJ disorder symptoms, including tinnitus.
Options for TMJ disorder treatment include custom orthotics by Dr. Abelar, which are custom fit to your mouth and help to realign the temporomandibular joint with the jaw bone, eliminating the problems caused by TMJ disorder. These custom orthotics fit your mouth perfectly, so they’re comfortable and easy to use, and they are easy to clean and care for when not in use. This natural treatment works with the body without the use of medications or surgery, and is generally well tolerated and found to be comfortable by those who undergo it.
To learn more about custom sleep orthotics from Dr. Abelar, please contact the office and schedule a consultation today!
