Is temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) an expression of masked depression?

Is TMD/CMD a disease or a symptom?

Photo by Philipp Pilz on Unsplash

In my dental practice, I am increasingly dealing with bruxism, cranio-mandibular dysfunctions (CMD), temporo-mandibular joint disorder (TMD, TMJD).
All of the three have in common, that the muscles and joints that physiologically help us to chew, and the teeth engage in subconscious high-tension parafunctions like grinding, pressing and clenching the teeth.
It is not possible to willingly stop it, yet most of the times it happens at night while asleep.

Dental night guards can provide a little relief and protection for the enamel.
But some people just grind on, till it hurts so much that they need painkillers and psychotherapy.

In my practice, this phenomenon affects about 50% of women and a little less affects men.

I want to shed light on the question of what drives us to grind and clench our teeth until our jaws, teeth, temporomandibular joints, and muscles hurt and wear out. Muscles and tendons shorten, adhere together, and harden, temporomandibular joints become inflamed, and teeth loosen, break or die.

Chronic CMD makes your teeth get shorter, weaker, and more brittle. The resulting inflammation of your periodontium is shedding the tooth more and more! You hear noises, tinnitus!

You lose your TEETH by subconsciously gritting, grinding, rubbing, and pressing them!
The consequences are dramatic, and sooner or later many people with severe CMD end up with alcohol, psychotherapy, heavy painkillers, or antidepressants.

Antidepressants for CMD, you ask yourself?

Yes, antidepressants! In severe cases of CMD, a lightly dosed antidepressant is recommended.

That brings us to the topic.
Modern dental medicine can offer prescriptions of painkillers, muscle-relaxants, physiotherapy, gymnastics, magnesium, night-guards and in severe cases joint-surgeries. We can spread the word of self-awareness, relaxation and bio-feedback-exercises to relax your muscles.
What modern dentistry cannot deliver is to cure the causes of heavy grinding, bruxism, and CMD. The affected neuro-muscular system responds to inner tension, sorrow, anxiety, fear. Progressive CMD leads to more insecurity, more fear, more pain, even to quitting or losing partners and jobs.

In chronc high-tension- situations some people acquire auto-immune-disorders, like asthma, or allergies, some get heart-attacks, and some get orthopedic issues like disc-prolapses and CMD.

All of this leads us to the question:

Is CMD a disease or a symptom?

The longer I observe cranio-mandibular dysfunctions, the more I see them as symptoms of suppressed life energy.

We humans have been suppressing our anger and pain since childhood and learn that we are more socially acceptable when we put on a mask and smile in a friendly manner.

So we smile and work hard to be accepted and loved.

In us, however, all the situations of suppressed anger, fear, and pain turn into deep grief, and with every decade we become sadder and more dependent on work, alcohol, porn, or the encouragement of others.

When and how should we stop this?

How can we get out of it?

What can we do with all of the pent-up anger and self-destruction?

What can you do instead of the involuntary, self-destructive crunching and pressing?

I’m afraid you won’t be able to avoid facing yourself.

We humans have always had only one task in life:

Know yourself and become who you are!

But how does that work?

There are many ways and methods to do this.

Some people find their way to their core through the parental home, others through philosophy or intellectual activity in school, and still others through recurring life patterns that keep them busy.

There’s no shame in not making it on your own. On the contrary, very few of us make it alone. In contrast, most people find their meaning in life by other people mirroring their patterns and core-issues to them, be it in friendships, love relationships, divorces, employment relationships, or in parenting.

You can also seek for targeted coaching on this topic.

If you are interested in your self-awareness — then book a coaching with me. We will check you mentally, physically-materially, psychologically-emotionally, and spiritually!

We will dance with the flow and it will be pure magic!