TMJ disorders aren’t life-threatening, but they can cause persistent pain in and around your jaw and face. It’s important to start with conservative, reversible treatments, like avoiding triggering behaviors and taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Whether you have tmj or TMD, our experts at Restore TMJ & Sleep Therapy have the proven therapies and treatment modalities to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

Symptoms

The temporomandibular (say: TEM-puh-man-dib-uhl) joint — the sliding hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull on either side — moves hundreds of times a day. Over time, over-exertion of this joint can lead to a number of conditions that affect the jaw, muscles, and other parts of the face. Symptoms can range from slight to severe, and include pain in the jaw or chewing muscles, clicking or popping sounds when the jaw moves, headaches, neck aches, and a limited ability to open or close the mouth.

These symptoms are referred to as TMJ disorders or TMD and can occur on their own or in conjunction with other health problems such as:

In some cases, a TMJ disorder will clear up on its own. Other times, a combination of treatments is needed to find relief and prevent symptoms from returning. This may include resting the jaw, eating a soft diet, using cold or heat on the affected area, and avoiding habits that aggravate the joint or chewing muscles such as clenching or grinding teeth, opening the mouth wide when yawning, or chewing gum excessively.

Diagnosis

If you have jaw pain, a clicking or popping noise, limited jaw movement or difficulty chewing, you may have a temporomandibular disorder (commonly abbreviated as TMD). The temporomandibular joints are located on both sides of your head in front of your ears.

A diagnosis of TMD usually requires a physical exam. Your doctor will examine the joint and muscles around it, and measure how wide you can open your mouth. They will press on the areas around the jaw to test for sensitivity and pain, and they will listen to the jaw moving to hear if there is abnormal noise or clicking.

A minimally invasive procedure called arthrocentesis is sometimes used to help diagnose TMD and relieve symptoms. During this procedure, your doctor injects liquid into the TMJ to flush out scar-like tissue and remove substances that cause inflammation. This helps improve jaw opening and can temporarily relieve pain. It is often combined with other treatments.

Treatment

Treatment aims to relieve pain and help the jaw function normally again. Treatment options include avoiding triggering behaviors (like chewing gum or using teeth as tools), a soft diet, warm compresses and ice packs on the face, physical therapy, occlusal splints or bite plates, and pain medicines. Some patients benefit from a tricyclic antidepressant like amitriptyline (Elavil), used in low doses for depression, which can also help with pain relief and bruxism control.

Medications that reduce inflammation can ease pain and swelling, such as corticosteroids or NSAIDs. Some people find relief with a dental mouthguard or splint that holds the jaw in a more relaxed position, which can help prevent clenching and grinding of the teeth, called bruxism.

Stress management techniques can reduce muscle tension, which can be a major contributing factor to TMJ symptoms such as jaw clicking and popping, limited jaw movement, masticatory (chewing) stiffness and an unexplained change in the occlusion (bite). Stress relief techniques can include cognitive-behavioral therapy, meditation and mindfulness or biofeedback with electronic devices that monitor tight muscles to help them relax.

Prevention

There are many steps you can take to prevent TMJ from arising or getting worse. These include avoiding wide jaw movements like yawning and chewing, practicing good oral hygiene, and wearing a mouth guard. Practicing relaxation techniques and limiting stress also reduces the likelihood of teeth clenching and grinding, which are common causes of TMJ pain.

If you do experience a TMJ disorder, it is important to follow the advice of your dentist or physical therapist. They can help you with a treatment plan to alleviate your symptoms and promote healing.

Herbs can also be used to manage TMJ disorders, although they should only be applied topically and under the supervision of a health care professional. Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) and lobelia (Lobelia inflata) are two herbs that can be helpful. These are usually applied as a warm compress on the area and can be used in conjunction with other treatments.