Jaw clicking, soreness, or tension can compromise your comfort and keep you from chewing with natural ease. This pain often stems from TMJ/TMD, a jaw disorder that can be resolved with a variety of minimally invasive, tailored treatments. Find relief with solutions from your dentist today.
TMJ/TMD treatment is the best way to restore your oral range of motion, eliminate your pain, and get you back to your day-to-day routine. The pain and discomfort of TMJ/TMD can be extreme, and it can stop you from eating your favorite foods, chewing normally, or even speaking without pain and discomfort. Jaw issues like TMJ/TMD won’t get better on their own, and may even get worse over time. If you’re having jaw pain, that’s not normal. Contact us for a consultation right away. We’ll get to the bottom of the problem, give you a diagnosis, and provide the care you need for a healthy, functional, pain-free jaw.
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The prevalence of TMJ/TMD is between 5% and 12% in adults. That means it's the second most common type of musculoskeletal pain, behind only lower back pain.
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TMJ/TMD causes serious, chronic jaw pain that can interfere with your ability to work, focus on school, and live your day-to-day life. With proper treatment at our office, you can get your life back to normal.
TMJ/TMD can make your jaw “lock” or stiffen. This makes it hard to open and close your mouth properly, which could interfere with biting, eating, and even speaking. Treating TMJ/TMD restores your oral range of motion.
TMJ/TMD is related to lots of other problems including tinnitus (ringing of the ears), teeth grinding, chronic headaches, neck and upper back stiffness, and more. With proper treatment from a qualified dentist, you can get relief from a variety of symptoms that may be related to TMJ/TMD.
TMJ/TMD can be caused by lots of different things, from jaw overuse (like excessive gum chewing or teeth grinding) to direct trauma to the joint, and even some auto-immune problems like arthritis in the joint. So the first step is to come to our office for an appointment. Your doctor will perform a comprehensive oral exam, discuss your symptoms, and determine what’s causing your TMJ/TMD.
Once your dentist has determined the root cause of your issue, they will work with you to develop a custom treatment plan. This could include things like Botox injections, oral appliance therapy (OAT) to adjust the position of your jaw during sleep, and even things like orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign.
Along with TMJ/TMD treatment from your dentist, certain lifestyle changes and at-home physical therapy can help improve your oral range of motion and the symptoms of TMJ/TMD. For example, you can choose to eat softer foods for several weeks to help your jaw heal, or you may need to do some jaw exercises to help with your recovery. Your dentist will discuss these topics with you in detail as they develop your treatment plan.
TMD and TMJ pain is caused by a variety of different issues:
Because TMD and TMJ pain can be caused by so many different health issues, it’s important to see an experienced dentist when seeking care.
There are a few steps you can take to treat TMJ pain on your own. Jaw exercises may help strengthen the jaw muscles and joints, which can help provide you with relief from the effects of TMD.
In addition, applying hot and cold compresses to the area at 10-minute intervals can help with inflammation and control the pain and discomfort of TMD as your jaw heals.
It’s also a good idea to take steps to decrease jaw clenching, such as exercising and de-stressing to reduce the likelihood of nighttime teeth grinding. You may also want to consider ceasing gum chewing, and eating a diet of mostly soft foods to minimize the work your jaw muscles must do while they heal.
You can also use over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to help control pain and inflammation as your jaw heals, and you recover from TMD.
While some cases of TMD are minor and can be resolved with these simple steps and other at-home remedies, you should consider seeking help if you experience serious pain and discomfort, or if your symptoms persist for 1-2 weeks or longer.
Some cases of mild TMD may go away on their own with lifestyle changes, such as ceasing gum chewing, de-stressing to eliminate teeth clenching, and more. However, if you suffer from the symptoms of TMD for more than a week or two, your condition may be chronic. To learn more about your specific case of TMD, it’s best to seek a qualified, experienced dentist to get the help you need.
The symptoms of TMD vary quite a bit depending on the patient. You may experience issues like:
If you notice any of these symptoms, we recommend scheduling an appointment with your dentist right away to get help.
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