Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a medical condition wherein the temporomandibular joint of the jaw becomes misaligned and causes pain throughout the face, head, neck and even the back. Patients with the disorder often have trouble being diagnosed because of the range of symptoms – which, in addition to the aforementioned pain, can include tinnitus, clicking or popping of the jaw, teeth grinding (bruxism), migraine headaches, and muscle aches. But one symptom in particular is much more obviously related to TMJ disorder - and a lot harder to deal with.

We all have bad habits - whether you are a perpetual knuckle-cracker, a hair-twirler or a smoker, some habits are worse for you (and harder to stop) than others. But one habit in particular – nail-biting – could be a lot worse for you than you realize. Here’s why you should stop nail-biting right now for the health of your smile.

Porcelain veneers are thin sheets of porcelain that are custom shaped to fit onto the tooth for the purpose of changing its color, shape or size. Veneers can help hide chips, discoloration, cracks, breaks or uneven shape, transforming an imperfect smile into a masterpiece. Though durable, due to their material and the fact that veneers are not your natural teeth, you must treat them a bit differently than you would a natural tooth.

Living with temporomandibular joint disorder is scary enough - the pain, the stiffness, the ringing ears. Add Halloween and its candy to the mix, and you’ve got a real nightmare on your hands. But there’s no need to be afraid of Halloween when you have TMJ disorder! Just follow these tips to survive the most frightful time of year without making your TMJ symptoms worse.

It’s a widely known fact that sometimes when our bodies ache, stretching can go a long way toward reducing pain naturally. That’s why so many people find relief using things like physical therapy and yoga. But when your temporomandibular joint starts hurting, there’s not exactly a yoga class for that - but there are some exercises you can try at home to help strengthen the temporomandibular joint and lessen the pain of TMJ disorder.

For veterans of the armed forces, adjusting to life post-service or post-tour can be filled with unique challenges. Especially if that veteran must also deal with the aftermath of combat injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or both. In addition to primary injuries, many veterans also face what is known as a comorbid pain condition - that is, a chronic condition that occurs in tandem with another chronic condition.

According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, each year, Americans spend about $2.75 billion on cosmetic dentistry services. The kicker: Most of that cost is probably not covered by insurance, and even when plans do cover procedures such as veneers or braces, they may not cover all of the associated costs. With the average cost of braces hovering around $5,000 per person, but going as high as $7,500, and the average dental insurance policy only covering about $2,500 for a lifetime, that can equate to a significant out-of-pocket investment.

If you are one of the estimated 10 million Americans suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder), you’ll likely be thrilled to learn that all you need to ease your TMJ disorder pain is a little R&R (rest and relaxation) – or at least that’s what a recent headline implied. But unfortunately for many TMJ disorder sufferers, rest and relaxation isn’t only impractical, but also downright ineffective. So, why would a headline imply this? And what really helps to alleviate TMJ disorder pain?Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition that occurs when the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of the jaw is misaligned, causing dysfunction and serious pain in areas such as the jaw, head, neck, shoulders and back. It can even cause tinnitus (ear ringing), migraine headaches, bruxism (teeth grinding), and the inability to open and close the jaw. Dr. Alexandra George is a Wexford, Pennsylvania, dentist who treats patients with temporomandibular joint disorder. She says there are many things patients can do to alleviate symptoms of the condition, but that there is no "one size fits all" treatment that works for everyone."Temporomandibular joint disorders can be as diverse to treat as the patients who have them, because TMJ disorder can have many causes and many effects," George says.For example, one patient may have a disorder exacerbated by teeth grinding that also causes jaw pain and neck pain. Subsequently, that patient may find relief with a mouth guard that prevents teeth grinding, while another patient who does not grind her teeth may suffer from migraines and jaw stiffness but may not require a mouth guard. The combination of symptoms and causes make TMJ disorders a unique and painful puzzle for sufferers to figure out - and that’s exactly why sensational headlines like the one claiming that "relaxation" and "rest" can "ease TMJ pain" are so misleading."Relaxation and rest of the jaw can certainly help ease jaw pain in some situations," says George. "But the headline makes it seem like you can get relief by simply taking a nap or a vacation, which is not very likely."The good news is, according to George, though relief from TMJD may be a bit more difficult to obtain than simply sleeping it off, there are solutions that can provide relief, such as neuromuscular dentistry, a special form of dentistry designed to realign the jaw and balance the bite."If you think you have TMJ disorder, speak to your dentist," she says. "Don’t rely on a news article to diagnose or offer do-it-yourself treatment options. You could potentially make your TMJ disorder worse."

Flossing your teeth is kind of like taking out the trash: It’s time consuming, it’s not always pleasant, but you’ve got to do it if you want a clean, healthy mouth - or home, in the case of the trash. In fact, flossing is so important that it is responsible for removing about 40 percent of the plaque and bacteria that sits on our teeth causing gum disease and cavities. Thankfully, there are many products out there to make flossing your teeth easier and more comfortable. But not all flossing products are created equally. Here’s why one tried-and-true product may be causing you more harm than good.

Studies have shown that if you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, leading a stressful life can make your symptoms a lot worse. Unfortunately for most of us, stress is a way of life - especially for women in their childbearing years. TMJ disorder seems to affect a disproportionate number of young women in their childbearing years, with an estimated 90 percent of TMJ disorder sufferers falling into this gender and age group. So, what’s a girl to do to get relief from stress - and TMJ disorder - when you barely get a minute to yourself?

When you have temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder), it can sometimes feel like everything hurts. From your jaw to your ears, teeth, head, neck and even back and shoulders, pain from TMJ disorder can radiate throughout your upper body and disrupt your whole life. But how can you get relief in your back if the pain is coming from your jaw? Believe it or not, studies have shown that while the pain you may be feeling in your back is directly connected to your jaw, there may be more to it than that – it could be your posture!

You already know that maintaining a healthy body weight is key to living a long, active life, and that losing weight can help prevent myriad illnesses, from diabetes to heart disease to cancer. But what you may not realize is that maintaining a healthy weight can also help ease the symptoms of another painful condition that affects millions of people each year: temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJD.

If you’ve never heard of the connective tissue disorder systemic sclerosis before, you’re not alone. That’s because fewer than 5,000 cases of the extremely rare autoimmune disease - for which there is no cure - are diagnosed each year. But while systemic sclerosis isn’t exactly a household name, the low number of cases should never underscore the severity of this debilitating and sometimes fatal illness.

A recent article in an Irish newspaper is causing quite a stir here in the United States for claiming that a new form of ear insert can alleviate some of the symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. The catch: It’s from right here in America, and most people here have never heard of it. It’s a custom-fit device called Cerezen, and it sits just inside the ear canal like a hearing aid might. But instead of helping you hear, Cerezen claims to help stop bruxism (also known as teeth grinding) and alleviate pain-causing pressure on the muscles and joints affected by TMJ disorder.

Smiling. For some of us, it comes as naturally as breathing, and believe it or not, it has almost as many benefits, too! For example, studies have shown that being smiled at by a stranger can improve your mood - and make you want to smile back. Smiling has even been found to boost the immune system, and people who smile often live an average of seven years longer than people who don’t. With all that’s known about the benefits of a simple smile, it’s a wonder more of us aren’t grinning ear-to-ear all the time.

When pop musician Lady Gaga was forced to back out of her appearance at Brazil’s Rock in Rio concert last year due to what she described as "severe pain," her admission may have done more to raise awareness for the condition fibromyalgia than any advertising campaign could have hoped to do.

Do you suffer from unexplained headaches, back aches or neck pain? Do you grind your teeth, or hear a clicking or popping sound when you speak, chew or open and close your mouth? Believe it or not, these are all signs of a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, and even if your joint itself doesn’t hurt, you could still be affected.

Full-mouth reconstruction: it’s a mouthful, all right. Not only is it a lot to say, but it can also be a long, multi-stage procedure. The good news is, the benefits certainly outweigh the time and expense you invest into it. That’s because in addition to improving your smile, full-mouth reconstruction can improve a lot of other areas too. If you think full-mouth reconstruction is purely cosmetic, think again. Here are some significant ways that full-mouth reconstruction can improve your life.

One common misconception patients have when they get a cavity filled is that their filling will last a lifetime. While it would be nice if that were true, the resin composite material used in most fillings lasts about 20 years, give or take a few. But sometimes fillings break down much sooner than anticipated, with some lasting as few as five years. So, what’s going on with those fillings? Are they made of inferior materials? Were they placed incorrectly? Or maybe there’s something else going on that could be causing them to wear out early. Here are some common reasons fillings break down sooner than expected.

If you’ve ever been told you have a "bad bite," chances are you can see for yourself that your teeth are out of alignment. From a strictly cosmetic standpoint, a bad bite doesn’t usually look so great, and most people who have bad bites have probably considered correcting them with braces or other orthodontics. But a bad bite can be far more serious than simply having crooked teeth. A bad bite can not only cause uneven wear on the teeth, but it can also cause damage to the teeth, jaw soreness, bruxism (or teeth grinding) and even temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder).