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Using Ultrasonography for TMJ Disorders

When an individual is unable to open their mouth or chew without experiencing pain, it could be due to a TMJ disorder. And while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been the most successful at diagnosing this condition in the past, ultrasonography is another diagnostic tool that can be used for this condition.

  1. TMJ Disorder

    • TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint; the joint that connects the lower jawbone of an individual's face to their skull. This connection takes place in front of the ears on both sides of an individual's head. But the TMJ can produce pain---and problems with chewing, talking or yawning---if it becomes displaced or damaged for some reason. Such TMJ disorders can be caused by several things.

    Causes

    • TMJ disorders can be caused by erosion of the disk that serves to keep the joint movement smooth. It can also be caused when the cartilage (which covers the bones in that joint area) becomes damaged due to arthritis. And when an individual receives a blow to that portion of the face, due to an accident or physical altercation, TMJ damage can occur then, too.

      But TMJ damage can even occur due to overuse of the surrounding muscles, especially in those individuals who grind or clench their teeth regularly, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Diagnosis

    • Since TMJ disorders can be caused by so many different things, different diagnostic tests are sometimes run in order to pinpoint what is exactly damaged in this area, so proper treatment can be determined. Dentists may make X-rays to aid them in attempting to diagnose TMJ disorders. If a doctor suspects a bone is the problem, he may order a CT (computerized topography) scan instead.

      And if the doctor suspects that the problems are the result of damage or deterioration of the disk, he may elect to send the patient for an MRI (magnetic resonance image), according to the Mayo Clinic. But in the last decade, high-resolution ultrasonography has been growing as a diagnostic tool, too.

    High-resolution Ultrasonography

    • In the field of TMJ disorder, there is an emerging diagnostic approach called sonography, according to the Third Scientific Meeting of the TMJ Association. This new advancing diagnostic tool has undergone several studies, one of which was cited at the group's 2004 meeting.

      In that study, ultrasonography was shown to detect TMJ disorders, and be especially helpful in soft tissue damage diagnosis. But when compared with MRI, it was MRI that was more effective in overall diagnosis of TMJ, especially due to bone and disc damage or disorder.

    Significance

    • Closed-mouth sonography produced better statistical diagnosis results (82 percent) than open-mouth diagnosis efforts did (79 percent), according to TMJ.org.

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