Is There a Link Between Gum Disease and TMD?

When jaw joint discs are misaligned, TMJ disorder (TMD) can result, causing inflammation and radiating pain throughout the head, neck, or even body. But this isn’t the only oral health issue with far-reaching effects. Gum disease promotes systemic inflammation too, making routine dental care essential for more than just your smile. By staying proactive with dental appointments, you can reduce the impact of these conditions. Dentists treating TMJ disorders often ask: Which matters more, relieving jaw pain or tackling gum health? Perhaps it’s time to consider a comprehensive approach to protect your overall health.

As we all know, teeth rely on the bone and gums for their support system. However, without good support for the teeth, a TMD appliance will not work as well. Remember the appliance is held on by attaching to the teeth. It is critical that the gums and teeth are checked and the patient continues with their regular checkup. Absolutely! Then, as any good debater would argue, the TM joints are really critical to good health and if the articular discs within the jaw joints are displaced, the pain this causes can be debilitating. The displaced discs can cause headaches, vertigo, visual problems, sleep disordered breathing, and even tremors. TMJ disorder is so poorly understood that it often is ignored until one day when the pain is so great that the patient can barely function. Not so much with periodontal issues- most periodontal patients are able to function just fine with their gum and bone problems. Does this make the TMJ issues more important? Maybe.

The stability of your jaw and its function heavily rely on the health of the periodontium—the bone, gums, and teeth. These structures ensure that the condyle, or jawbone, stays correctly positioned in its socket. When your teeth are healthy, they provide essential vertical support to keep the TM joints functioning smoothly. However, losing teeth, such as bicuspids, can result in the jawbone collapsing deeper into the joint due to the loss of support. Additionally, gum disease can make teeth unsteady, tipping them side to side. This instability causes the condyle to shift deeper into the socket, often displacing the protective disc. Without the disc, the risk of painful bone-on-bone contact increases, which can lead to TMJ disorder. Symptoms such as head and neck pain frequently accompany this condition. To prevent these problems, maintaining good periodontal health is critical, it’s the foundation of a stable and pain-free jaw!

So, what is a patient to do when they have both periodontal and TMJ problems? Is there a way to tell which problem is worse? Sometimes an MRI of TM joints can solve that little question. The MRI will show how badly the articular discs are displaced. If the discs are displaced and in bad shape, that person is experiencing serious symptoms like headaches, neck pain, vertigo, etc., then treating the jaw first and foremost might be a good approach. By working on the debilitating pain factors first, then periodontal treatment will go easier. Ideally this approach will likely be more effective. Another reason why the TMD issues might be more important is when the bite is collapsed, then there is extreme pressure on the teeth and that person might be grinding or clenching their teeth. This huge pressure on the teeth will cause gum recession and bone loss due to the extraordinary pressure that grinding/clenching puts on the teeth. So, for this reason, dealing with the TMJ component as the primary problem makes a whole lot of sense. It will only help with the periodontal issues. This is why it is important to understand the big picture – is it BOTH TMD and periodontal or is it just one or the other that needs attention first.

Treating TMD and gum disease requires team effort. Working with a TMJ specialist and a periodontist together ultimately gets the best results. The connection between jaw joints and periodontal health is significant and addressing them separately may lead to unresolved issues. Understanding the complexity of these conditions is crucial. Since everything in the mouth is interconnected, managing both simultaneously ensures a more effective and holistic approach to overall oral health.