Author name: Diestel Dental Group Clinical Team

📌 TMJ Pain: Key Takeaways

📖 What it is: Pain in front of the ear usually comes from the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or the chewing muscles, a group of problems called TMD.

🔍 Common signs: Jaw clicking, pain when chewing, trouble opening wide, headaches or earache.

🦷 Common causes: Clenching or grinding, stress and posture, bite problems such as a high filling, a displaced joint disc, or injury.

🩺 Treatment path: Self-care and a dental check first, then a custom splint and physiotherapy if needed. More than 80% improve with conservative care; fewer than 5% need surgery.

💰 Reference costs (Prince Philip Dental Hospital private fees): TMJ consultation HK$800–1,500; TMJ splint HK$3,600–5,600. For reference only, not our clinics’ actual fees; actual fees depend on your assessment.

⚠ Get help quickly if: Your jaw locks or dislocates, your bite changes after an injury, or you have face swelling and fever. If jaw pain comes with chest pain or breathlessness, call 999.

👉 Want your bite and jaw joint checked? Choose a clinic near you

📌 Bad Breath: Key Takeaways

🔍 Main cause: About 90% of bad breath starts in the mouth, where oral bacteria turn proteins into volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs)

👅 Number one culprit: A coated tongue. Bacteria collect at the back of the tongue, so brushing teeth alone often won’t clear it

⚠️ Other oral sources: Gum disease, tartar, decay, ill-fitting dental work and dry mouth all keep producing odour, so brushing harder is not always enough

💡 Masking vs fixing: Mouthwash, gum and mints mostly mask it; persistent bad breath usually means something is unresolved

🦷 What to do first: See a dentist to rule out oral causes before looking at medical ones

🧴 Mouthwash and probiotics: Judge them by ingredients, not brands. Zinc salts or CPC help, but they support rather than cure

💰 Scaling fee guide: Typically about HK$500 to HK$1,500 at Hong Kong private clinics, for reference only, not our clinics’ actual fees; the actual fee is confirmed after examination (fee reference)

👉 Bad breath lasting weeks? Start here: Dental cleaning