SPECIALTY DENTISTRY

Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your lower jawbone to your skull. The parts of the bones that interact in the joint are covered with cartilage and separated by a small shock-absorbing disk, which keeps the movement smooth. These joints get a lot of use throughout the day as you speak, chew, swallow, and yawn and any problem that prevents the complex TMJ system from working properly may result in a painful TMJ disorders.

The most common symptoms of TMJ disorders are popping or clicking in the jaw when chewing or talking, stiffness in the jaw, and pain when chewing. Other symptoms include aching pain in and around the ears, facial pain and swelling, headaches, muscle spasms, and locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth.

TMJ disorders can be caused by a number of things, such as arthritis or jaw injury, but if your TMJ disorder is thought by your doctor to be caused by dental issues – such as teeth grinding or misaligned bite – your dentist at Baker and Graham can create an effective treatment just for you. Depending on your specific TMJ issues, your treatment can vary but common treatments include:

The use of a night guard or bite plate to decrease clenching or grinding of teeth
Medications, such as muscle relaxants, analgesics, anti-anxiety drugs, or anti-inflammatory medication
Exercises to strengthen the jaw muscles
Orthodontic treatment to adjust bite or reshape teeth to ease TMJ stress

Most TMJ-related issues, whether muscular or in the joint, can resolve themselves over time. Because of this, we typically recommend conservative treatment at first, many of which can be done at home. Some of these treatments include:

Eating softer foods
Avoid chewing gum or biting your nails
Modifying the pain with heat packs
Practice relaxation techniques to control jaw tension, such as meditation or biofeedback