Rheumatoid Arthroscopic Surgery

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Most people open their mouth to chew, speak and swallow without any thought or difficulty … thanks to the complex and unique temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomy. These joints allow you to push your jaw back, slide it forward and open and close your mouth. But that’s not all; the TMJ also moves your jaw side to side. And all of these movements are produced by a group of muscles.
However, complications can arise with a joint this multifaceted, and according to the National Institutes of Dental Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), there are three common TMJ disorders people often experience.
Muscle Complications
The muscles responsible for moving your jaw can handle a lot of chewing and talking, but overuse can lead to tightness and pain. Opening …show more content…

Arthritis
Arthritis, can affect any of your joints, and the TMJ is no exception. Many people over the age of 50 deal with osteoarthritis, which causes the deterioration of cartilage in various joints. This can affect the TMJ because the cartilage is not as strong, but it mostly occurs when the disc is missing or deformed. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain and inflammation in many joints, but merckmanuals.com reports that only 17 percent of people with RA have their TMJ affected as a secondary condition.
Treatment for osteoarthritis of the TMJ involves resting the jaw, analgesics for pain, and possibly a splint to relieve muscle tightness. Symptoms usually subside in about 6 months, but your ability to open your mouth may be limited. When rheumatoid arthritis affects your TMJ, you will be treated with the same RA drugs used for any joint, along with NSAIDs for pain. Keeping the TMJ mobile is important; therefore, your doctor may recommend physical therapy and have your dentist make a splint to relieve muscle tightness. In rare cases, surgery may be needed to replace the

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