Tinnitus involves hearing sound when no external sound is present. While a number of health conditions can cause or worsen tinnitus, in many cases, an exact cause is never found.
Tinnitus can be the result of age-related hearing loss, over-exposure to loud noise, ear wax blockage or stiffening of the bones in your middle ear. If these are ruled out as your source of tinnitus, another common cause is TMJ disorder (TMD). Problems with the tempero-mandibular joint, (the joint in front of your ears where your lower jawbone connects to the skull), is another cause for ringing in the ears.
Typically, TMJ disorders will be accompanied by other symptoms in addition to ringing ears. These include:
• Frequent headaches or migraines
• Jaw joint pain, clicking or popping
• Facial or neck pain
• Worn, chipped or sensitive teeth
• Limited ability to open the mouth
• Jaw tenderness when chewing
• Vertigo (feeling ‘off-balance’ and dizzy)
• Earaches
If you feel your jaw joint may be the source of that sound in your ears, it’s likely it is also contributing to other problems, or will in the future. Our office provides a thorough examination and diagnostic process to help determine if TMD is a problem for you. If so, we can make recommendations to help alleviate your symptoms and correct the problem.
To learn more, please call our office at (586) 739-2155 or toll free 1-855-9Smiles. We offer a complimentary consultation to answer your questions and explain the diagnostic process and will be happy to arrange a convenient time for you.
