Your Best Smile

The temporomandibular joint is the joint of the jaw. This is frequently referred to as TMJ. There are two temporomandibular joints, one on either side of the head that work in unison. The TMJ name is derived from the two bones which form the joint of the upper temporal bone which is part of the skull, and the lower jaw bone which is called the mandible.

The specific feature of the temporomandibular joint is the disc. The disc is composed of fibrocartilagenous tissue, like the flexible elastic cartilage of the ear, which is positioned between the two bones that form the joint.

The temporomandibular joints are one of the only two synovial joints in the human body. The synovial joints divides each portion of the jaw into two specific compartments. The lower joint compartment is formed by the mandible and the disc is involved in rotational movement through opening and closing movements.

The upper joint compartment is involved in multiple positioning movements which allows the sliding of the lower jaw forward from side to side. The part of the mandible which connects to the under-surface of the disc and is the part of the temporal bone which also connects to the upper surface of the disk. This is the glenoid ossa – also known as mandibular.

Pain or problems of the temporomandibular joint is commonly referred to as “TMJ”, however, this can be confusing since TMJ is really the name of the joint and Temporomandibular joint disorder is abbreviated as TMD.

TMD is often referred to as a group of problems involving the temporomandibular joints and the muscular-skeletal system of the jaw, including tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and other tissues associated with them. Some specialists might even include the neck and back while describing problems with temporomandibular joints.

As with any complex neuromuscular activity the smile can be trained in efficient performance and correct musculoskeletal activation. It has been well established that training exercises involving repetitive activity with visual feedback lead to improved function. These techniques have been applied to sports acting, dance, etc. and can also be applied to smiling.

Perform the following smile exercises in front of a mirror:

1. Move the corners of the mouth up slightly without revealing any teeth. Hold this position for ten seconds while you see and feel how the muscles move.

2. Move to a half smile. The upper corners of the mouth move slightly more upward, the lips spread, and the cheeks move somewhat. Hold this position for ten seconds, again seeing and feeling the movement of the muscles.

3. Advance to a full smile. The corners of the mouth move into the uppermost position, the lips are stretched taut, and the teeth become exposed. The amount of exposed dentition that constitutes a pleasing smile is determined by your personal taste and preference. Repeat in reverse sequence

4. To strengthen the smile muscles repeat these exercises using resistance. To accomplish this place two index fingers into the corner of the mouth and use them to resist the movement of the smile muscles. Each position should be held for ten seconds and repeated ten times a day.

For most people it is fairly easy to achieve the half smile because this is the extent of their typical smile, since minimal teeth have been bared. The importance rests in separating each of the muscle movements, giving an awareness of muscle movement as opposed to simply unconscious behavior.

A self curing silicon can be injected into the nasal spine to hold down the lip in a gummy smile.