Symptoms
The malice of CMD consists in the broad diffusion of symptoms and disorders, which appear mainly aside the chewing system. One can also describe this as adversary or a chameleon of the orofacial system.
Symptom locations:
Joint related locations (arthropathy)Muscle related locations (myopathy)
Diffused numb pain
Other symptoms
| Close symptoms | Distant symptoms |
| Toothache without recognizable correlation Toothache from pressing and grinding Limitations of mouth opening and mouth movement Snapping of one or both jaw joints Grinding noise of one or both jaw joints Pain of jaw joint areas Jaw joint discomfort Chewing difficulties Pain in jaw and facial area Loosening of teeth (locale paradontitis) Reduction of gums (gingiva recession) Sensitive tooth necks Grove on tooth necks (tapered defects) Changes in tooth placements Noticeable detrition of chewing areas of one or more teeth (abrasions) Feeling of teeth not fitting together Tension of facial muscles while awakening Burning or numb feeling of tounge or buccal mucosa |
Headache Head pressure (mostly on temples and back of head) Limited head turning ability Neck stiffness and tension Neck and/or shoulder pains Numbness of arms and fingers Pain of joints Shoulder pain Back pain Limited waist turning possibility (ISG blockade) Problems of pelvic floor Earache without recognizable cause Ear noise (tinnitus) Hearing reduction Dizziness Discomfort swallowing Feeling of lump in ones throat Pain behind eye lenses Eye fibrillation Double vision Light sensitivity Impaired vision Nightly respiratory disorder Sleeplessness |
Characteristic Symptoms of Myopathy und Arthropathy:
Myopathy:- Diffused numb pain eradiating to neck
- Rest pain
- Palpation pain (= feeling pain while touching)
- Increased pain and discomfort during the morning
- Often both sided
- Often chronical
Arthropathy:
- Localised, mostly stinging pain and often without radiation
- Straining pain (e. g. while chewing)
- Shorter acute process
- Mostly one-sided
Myopathy can unnoticeably merge into a mixed variation of myoarthropathy and can inevitably affect the jaw joints.
Differential diagnoses – or how CMD can be mistaken:
Typically a CMD above all, causes pain in head and facial areas.Therefore, at the beginning of treatment common illnesses e.g. extreme tooth decay, aleovodental and gum disease, parodontitis or zysts are excluded.
Headache illnesses must be clarified of other causes by a neurologist.
Chronic infections of paranasal sinuses (jaw, forehead and ethmoid bone sinuses) also often cause pain in upper jaw and accordingly facial area.
Especially pain at the temples of patients can be the result of arteritis temporalis (infection of the artery).
Muscle and pain of the jaw joints occur also with generalized illnesses, e. g. polyarthritis or fibromyalgia.