Allergies as a Cause of TMJ Disorder
Allergies Can Disturb the Normal Development of Teeth and Jaws
Jul 14, 2009
Just how strong is the link between allergies and TMJ Disorder? There’s been surprisingly little study done on this connection, although there are medical practitioners who feel that at least some cases of TMJ Disorder are caused by allergies.
Causes of TMJ Disorder
TMJ Disorder is a baffling condition affecting up to fifty million people to varying degrees. It almost seems that there are as many causes of TMJ Disorder as there are people who develop this very painful condition. Most commonly, bruxism (clenching and grinding of teeth) is believed to be a major contributing cause. However, many people who do not grind or clench their teeth develop this condition. For others, injury to the face or jaw can result in the development of TMJ Disorder. Spinal alignment is often blamed for the condition. Even nutritional deficiencies are being considered as a cause of this disorder, especially deficiencies in the B vitamin category.
Deformed Dental Arches and TMJD
Interestingly, Weston A Price inadvertently suggested a dietary connection to TMJD when he wrote his major opus, Physical and Nutritional Degeneration. In this work, he showed how quickly dental arches became deformed once native people’s diets changed from natural, wholesome foods indigenous to their group, to a diet laden with processed white flour and sugar. Within one generation, dental caries became rampant, as did deformed dental arches, something most Americans seem to have. Deformed dental arches could contribute significantly to the development of TMJD.
Allergies as a Cause of TMJD
Taken a step further, it is easy to see that food allergies can also be a culprit that brings about dental disorders and, subsequently, trouble with the temporomandibular jaw joint (TMJ).
According to the Atlanta Dental Group, PC., when allergies cause the nose to swell so that one begins to breathe through one’s mouth, many things go wrong. “With children that are growing, mouth breathing from allergies can be disastrous. The jaws will not grow together and a bad bite develops.” Eventually the allergy sufferer’s tongue becomes misplaced and is lowered to help facilitate breathing. Over time, this abnormal tongue placement can cause swallowing difficulties and even speech problems.
Ultimately, according to the Atlanta Dental Group literature, “Untreated allergies can also be the original source of TMJ problems because these allergies disturb the normal functioning and growth of the teeth and jaw bones.”
Besides the most common source of allergies, such as dairy, gluten, etc. many do not stop to consider possible allergies to metals – specifically metals that may be found in amalgam fillings.
The connection between allergies and TMJD has not been studied as much as it should be, yet the possibility of a connection is there. Perhaps, instead of treating TMJ Disorder, one should considering checking for, and treating, allergies first.
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