Hi everyone and welcome or welcome back to my YouTube channel. I’m Priya Mistry
the TMJ doc and today I’m going to talk about how to reduce jaw joint noises!
This video is about how to reduce these noises - NOT eliminate them. That being said,
if you’re looking for more information on TMJ Disorders for yourself or for a loved one,
then this is the YouTube channel for you. Be sure to hit that Subscribe button as I post a new
informational video every Friday for people who are suffering from TMJ Disorders!
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a general dentist with a practice in Portland,
Oregon where we are dedicated to taking care of patients with TMJ disorders. Please be sure to
check out the links below if you want to hang out with me on my other social media platforms,
particularly Instagram. I like to post lots of useful information,
tips, trivia, fun facts for those of you who like to nerd out on TMJ info like I do!
So let’s get right into it! The jaw joint noises that I’m referring to in this video are clicks
and pops - which are essentially the same thing when it comes to what’s happening inside the joint
itself. Inside of the jaw joint, there’s a little disc of cartilaginous tissue called the articular
disc. This disc of cartilaginous tissue sits between the bony components of the joint. The bony
components consist of the little knob that our mandible terminates on. That knob is called the
condyle. And the temporal bone - which is a skull bone. The little disc of cartilaginous tissue, the
articular disc, sits on top of the condyle - kind of like a hoody. And in an ideal situation, when
we go to open and close, that disc stays on top of the condyle - it stays where it’s supposed to stay
and there are NO clicks and there are no pops. When that disc comes in and out of alignment,
that's when it will click and pop. This animation demonstrates the articular disc shows the little
blue disc coming in and out alignment - click, pop, click, pop. When this disc comes in and out
of alignment, there is an audible and usually palpable click or pop - again, the same noise.
And this is the noise I’m referring to in this video. To better understand the relationship
of the articular disc and the condyle and exactly what those are anatomically,
please watch my video “Jaw Joint Noises - Snap, Crackle, Pop”, which I have linked above. This
is my MOST WATCHED video for a reason, with over 30,000 views at this time. There are diagrams that
show the anatomy of the jaw joint and explanations as to exactly why jaw joint noises happen.
There are 3 ways I know to effectively decrease jaw joint noises, so I’ll list them
off and then circle back and go through each one in detail. The first is the 6x6 Exercise,
second is Ligaplex I and II, which are supplements. And third are
Custom Orthotics combined with Myofascial Release and Osteopathic Manual Jaw Manipulation.
First, let’s go over that 6x6 exercise first. So for this exercise, you actually bring your teeth
edge to edge, as if you're biting off a thread. So if you're having trouble finding that position,
it really helps to look in a mirror. Once you bring your teeth edge to edge, you're going to
open as big as you can - not so wide that you're hurting yourself, but pretty wide - so open as
big as you can and then go back to that edge to edge position. You're going to do this 6 times,
6 times a day - that's why it's called the 6x6. What this does is when you bring your teeth
edge to edge, you're actually moving your jaw forward (for most people). Once you bring your
jaw forward, that improves the relationship of the condyle - the bony knob the mandible
terminates on - and the disc that's displaced, causing the clicking and popping. So it improves
that relationship, allowing the disc to remodel and get back in alignment over time.
One thing to keep in mind with this exercise is that it does not work quickly, unfortunately.
It can take several months or even years to decrease jaw joint noises with doing the 6x6
daily. So do keep that in mind and don't expect overnight results.
So the next method involves Ligaplex I and Ligaplex II, which are supplements.
Some jaw joint noises are present due to loose ligaments within the jaw joints.
Ligaplex I and Ligaplex II help to tighten up these loose ligaments and they also help to
maintain connective tissue health. Ligaplex I is largely recommended for people whose
jaw joint noises are acute - they're newer, they've been present for less than a year.
Ligaplex II is typically recommended for people who have more chronic jaw joint noises - meaning
they’ve been there for longer than a year. I’ve linked Ligaplex I and Ligaplex II in the
description box below. And keep in mind that just like the 6x6, this is not a quick fix.
It can take several months or years to reduce jaw joint noises with this method.
Lastly, let’s talk about custom orthotics, myofascial release, and osteopathic manual jaw
manipulation. Custom orthotics actually hold the jaw in a different position in three dimensional
space, improving the relationship of the condyle to the disc within the joint. Myofascial release
is a technique that releases tightened tissues that can be contributing to the disc
staying out of alignment. And osteopathic manual jaw manipulation is a very specific
technique of manipulating the jaw that also helps improve the relationship
of the disc and the condyle. These methods when used together
actually work the fastest and this can help decrease or even eliminate, jaw joint noises
within 4-6 months. For some of my patients, we're actually combining all three. I ask
my patients to do the 6x6 exercise at home, I ask my patient to take the Ligaplex supplement,
and we check the orthotics, we do the myofascial release and the osteopathic jaw manipulation
weekly or biweekly. Combining all of this has proven very effective for many of my patients.
So that’s really it my friends. I truly help this video is helpful to you and it helps reduce
those jaw joint noises that can be troublesome, annoying, and sometimes painful . If you like
what you heard or you learned something new, click “Like” below, Subscribe to my channel,
do all the things! As always, questions and comments are welcome in the comment box below.
And remember, my friends, you can never have TMI about TMJ! Thank you!