Precise numbers are not known, but studies show that women are far more likely than men to develop TMD, a painful jaw disorder. The imbalance is striking: about ninety percent of the worst cases are reported by women. TMD treatment is one of our specialties at Sleep Apnea and TMJ Solutions in Brentwood TN.
TMD is short for temporomandibular disorder. The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is your jaw joint, the points on each side of your head where the jaw connects to the skull. Millions of Americans report pain in the TMJ. It can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. It might be the result of an injury or teeth clenching due to stress, it might be arthritis – or any number of other causes.
What is clear that women are far more likely than men to develop TMJ issues. The reasons why are not known for sure. One likely cause is basic anatomy: there are differences in bone and muscle density between men and women. Which of these differences can be linked to TMD is not clear, but researches are confident that they play some role in whether someone gets it.
Hormone levels also play a role, although the exact link is not known. There is a lot of variation in hormone levels, not only between women and men but from one person to another, regardless of gender. Women of childbearing age appear to be at higher risk of developing TMD; they also have great fluctuation in estrogen and progesterone levels. Taking estrogen supplementes and certain types of birth control may put women in this age group at higher risk.
One of the common causes of TMD is teeth grinding, which often happens during sleep. Because of that, people often don’t realize they do it. Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is much more common in women than men.
One of the first steps anyone can take to reduce the risk of TMD, but women in particular, is try to reduce levels of stress. That may sound easier said than done in today’s world. However, many people have had good results from things like yoga, and specific attention to the jaw, such as passive jaw stretching or jaw relaxation exercises.
At Poss Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood TN, we offer TMD diagnosis and treatment. To find out more about TMD and how we can help, contact us today.
