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Article: Arthroscopic surgery repairs jaw trouble without scarring
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- June 14, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright (null) Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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Arthroscopic surgery, a big success in repairing damaged knees,
now is being used to correct painful jaw problems.
Malfunctions of the joint that holds the lower jaw in place -
the TMJ, or temporomandibular joint - can be triggered by a variety
of things including accidents, teeth grinding, jaw-clenching, muscle
tension or arthritis. Symptoms can run a broad, painful spectrum
including headaches, earaches and pain in jaw muscles. Sometimes a
problem makes itself known when, upon awakening, a person finds that
the mouth cannot open.
Until recently, such problems required elaborate surgical
procedures to correct. To get at the TMJ, surgeons had to make an
incision 1 to 2 inches long ...