John R. Droter, DDS

Facial Pain Diagnosis and Treatments

There are over 190+ causes of head and neck pain, only some of which are caused by a damaged jaw joint. The Temporomandibular Joint is the joint between the temporal bone and mandible and is abbreviated “TMJ”.

Being told you have TMJ is the same as being told you have knee or you have elbow. TMJ is not a diagnosis on which you can base treatment. TMD is another term that is often misused. It stands for Temporomandibular Disorders, a very broad term referring to many different diseases causing pain in the head and neck area. 

The TMJ is a synovial joint of the human body and will undergo the same diseases as any other joint. There are 40+ different diseases that can occur inside the joint. I use an orthopedic approach to diagnosing and treating damaged TMJs. Not all damaged TMJs need treatment, but some do. 

Four common problems are listed below with links to more details.

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Jaw Joint Damage
“The Clicking Jaw”

85% of people with jaw joint damage do not need any treatment what so ever!!!

Many people have damaged their TMJs (35% of the population), the disc is dislocated anteriorly, and the joint makes a clicking sound on movement. Most damaged joints adapt favorably and allow good jaw function (opening and closing), chewing, and eating pain free. As long as the clicking sound is not too annoying, these damaged joints can be well tolerated. A few people do however have jaw dysfunction and pain from a damaged joint that will need treatment. The TMJs did not adapt favorably to the damage. For them, there is treatment to help the TMJ damage readapt in a more favorable manor.

The Many Causes of Facial Pain, The Many Treatments

There are 190+ different causes of Temporomandibular Disorders/Facial Pain. The examination process, which needs to include muscle and joint palpation, will to lead to a working diagnosis on which you will be treated. A specific treatment is needed for each specific diagnosis. I utilize 70+ different therapies in my practice. The six most common TMDs are listed below.