#128 Exactly How Does TMD Cause Ringing in My Ears

Tinnitus is the proper name for the symptom of the sound of ringing in the ears.  The proper pronunciation is “TIN-a-Tus”, not “TIN-I-TUS”.   Tinnitus is derived from the Latin word, “tinnire”, to ring.   

Tinnitus is a relatively common symptom. A most recent article written by the Department of Otolaryngology in Mainz, Germany established the prevalence of tinnitus in their local population at 26% effecting significantly more males than females.  Roughly one in four people experience the symptom of tinnitus sometime during their life.  

 The prevalence of tinnitus increases with age, peaking at ages 75 to 79 years. Considering only annoying tinnitus, the prevalence was 9.8%. Logistic regression showed that participants with severe to complete hearing loss (>65 dB) were more likely to have tinnitus. Conclusions: Tinnitus is a common symptom, and given demographic changes, its prevalence is expected to increase. 

Tinnitus, subjective hearing loss, and vertigo are three symptoms well known to Otolaryngology doctors.  Together they are known as Meniere’s Disease.  The Otolaryngologists (ENT doctors) have no solution for Meniere’s Disease.  They have no cure for tinnitus. 

Tinnitus, subjective hearing loss, and vertigo are also well known , well established and agreed upon symptoms experienced by patients with TMD, (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder).  TMD has traditionally been treated by dentists and Meniere’s Disease has traditionally been treated by ENT physicians.  You would think at some point in time the ENT doctors and the dentists would have gotten into communication with each other to discuss that fact these three symptoms are shared between professions.  But that  never happened.  ENT doctors don’t communicate with dentists and vise-versa. That is unfortunate because the patients have suffered the consequences. 

Only recently have the facts associated with the cause of tinnitus, subjective hearing loss, and vertigo been discovered, by simply combining some basic dental and medical knowledge with anatomy and cell biology.   

A review of the anatomy of the temporomandibular joint has identified the structure which allows chronic inflammatory fluid within the damaged temporomandibular joint to enter the middle ear where the structures for hearing and balance are located.  The TMJ and middle are only 5-7 mm apart and a fissure, an actual pathway between the TMJ and middle ear, connects the two.  The” Petrotympanic Fissure” was first identified by the Swiss anatomist, Dr. Johann Glasier in the year 1680.  His discovery, also called the Glasierian Fissure, has been well demonstrated in every volume of “Gray’s Anatomy” for almost 100 years.  But no one bothered to connect the dots and realized there was a pathway allowing chronic inflammation and inflammatory exudates to travel through this fissure and into the middle ear disrupting the hearing and vestibular mechanisms located therein and creating tinnitus, subjective hearing loss, and vertigo. 

Fortunately, one doctor with both dental and medical degrees, fellowship research experience with the National Institutes of Health, in addition to degrees in anatomy and cell biology, was able to connect the dots and “discover” what has been in plain view since Dr. Glasier’s identification of the “Petrotympanic Fissure” in 1680.   

Dr. Anthony Urbanek DDS, MS, MD connected the dots and developed a simple oral device and protocol which decreases the chronic TMJ inflammation eliminating the inflammatory fluids traversing the petrotympanic fissure and eliminating the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease. 

Now you know how TMD causes ringing in the ears.  You also know how a simple oral device and protocol relieves the symptom.