One cannot help but wonder why women are twice, even three times, as likely as men to develop TMJ Disorder. This is a statistic that is generally glibly passed over with explanations that have virtually no valid scientific basis, such as “women’s jaws deteriorate from the age of 30 on.” If that’s so, then WHY?
What is it about the composition or structure of a woman’s mouth/jaw that predisposes her to this disorder? Besides being structurally smaller, there’s no other feature that differs so much from a man’s jaw/mouth as to contribute or cause this problem.
There are too many unanswered questions.
• Statistically, women do seek dental care more frequently and regularly than men. Is it possible that repeated jaw extensions cause damage?
• Is it hormonally driven?
• Could jaw irregularity be an early indicator of osteoporosis?
• How often does TMJ Disorder precede arthritis of the jaw?
• Is there a genetic connection?
• Is the stess that women nowadays must deal with just proving to be too much what with juggling jobs, kids, households and often caring for aging parents all at the same time?
• What about stressors that are beyond our control, such as long term exposure to VLF and ELF electromagnetic fields, or exposure to environmental toxins?
Until scientists can explain WHY women suffer from this malady far more than men, I think the remedy for TMJ Disorder for all may elude us. But will the largely male population of scientists give this problem the attention it requires?
Perhaps the answer is as simple as Weston A. Price proposed 70 years ago in “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.” Perhaps our modern diet and addiction to refined white flours and sugar is ultimately the culprit. What do we do now if our dental arches are already malformed?
I know a simple, nutritious, softer diet helped me. Maybe it can help you too.
