Did you know that November is TMJ Awareness Month? TMJ, which stands for temporomandibular joint, is a condition that affects the jaw joint. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may have TMJ: headaches, neck pain, jaw pain, clicking or popping noises when opening your mouth, and difficulty chewing. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact Premier Dentistry of Eagle today! 

TMJ Awareness Month: Understanding the Condition

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. This is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull. The TMJ allows you to move your jaw up and down and side to side. TMJ is also used to refer to the condition of disorders that affects this joint.

Causes

In many cases, it’s not known what causes TMJ disorders. Trauma to the jaw or joint may play a role. There are also other health conditions that may contribute to the development of TMJ disorders. These include:

• arthritis
• erosion (wearing away) of the joint
• habitual grinding or clenching of the teeth
• structural jaw issues present at birth
• growth disorders

TMJ Awareness Month: Do You Know the Signs of TMJ? 

The symptoms of TMJ disorders vary from person to person. The most common symptom is pain in the jaw joint area. This pain can be a dull ache or a sharp, shooting pain. Other symptoms include:

• headaches
• neck pain
• pain in the ear
• popping or clicking sounds when you open your mouth
• difficulty chewing
• limited movement of the jaw

Treatment for TMJ

In some cases, the symptoms of TMJ disorders may go away without treatment. If your symptoms persist, your doctor may recommend a variety of treatment options, often more than one to be done at the same time.

Medications

Along with other nonsurgical treatments, these medication options may help relieve the pain associated with TMJ disorders:

• Pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. If over-the-counter pain medications aren’t enough to relieve TMJ pain, your doctor or dentist may prescribe stronger pain relievers for a limited time, such as prescription strength ibuprofen.
• Tricyclic antidepressants. These medications, such as amitriptyline, are used mostly for depression, but in low doses, they’re sometimes used for pain relief, bruxism control and sleeplessness.
• Muscle relaxants. These types of drugs are sometimes used for a few days or weeks to help relieve pain caused by TMJ disorders created by muscle spasms.

Therapies

Non Drug therapies for TMJ disorders include:

• Oral splints or mouth guards (occlusal appliances). Often, people with jaw pain will benefit from wearing a soft or firm device inserted over their teeth, but the reasons why these devices are beneficial are not well-understood.
• Physical therapy. Along with exercises to stretch and strengthen jaw muscles, treatments might include ultrasound, moist heat and ice.
• Counseling. Education and counseling can help you understand the factors and behaviors that may aggravate your pain, so you can avoid them. Examples include teeth clenching or grinding, leaning on your chin, or biting fingernails.

Surgical or other procedures

When other methods don’t help, your doctor might suggest procedures such as:

• Arthrocentesis. Arthrocentesis (ahr-throw-sen-TEE-sis) is a minimally invasive procedure that involves the insertion of small needles into the joint so that fluid can be irrigated through the joint to remove debris and inflammatory byproducts.
• Injections. In some people, corticosteroid injections into the joint may be helpful. Infrequently, injecting botulinum toxin type A (Botox, others) into the jaw muscles used for chewing may relieve pain associated with TMJ disorders.
• TMJ arthroscopy. In some cases, arthroscopic surgery can be as effective for treating various types of TMJ disorders as open-joint surgery. A small thin tube (cannula) is placed into the joint space, an arthroscope is then inserted and small surgical instruments are used for surgery. TMJ arthroscopy has fewer risks and complications than open-joint surgery does, but it has some limitations as well.
• Modified condylotomy. Modified condylotomy (kon-dih-LOT-uh-mee) addresses the TMJ indirectly, with surgery on the mandible, but not in the joint itself. It may be helpful for treatment of pain and if locking is experienced.
• Open-joint surgery. If your jaw pain does not resolve with more-conservative treatments and it appears to be caused by a structural problem in the joint, your doctor or dentist may suggest open-joint surgery (arthrotomy) to repair or replace the joint. However, open-joint surgery involves more risks than other procedures do and should be considered very carefully, after discussing the pros and cons.

Make an Appointment with Premier Dentistry of Eagle

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms associated with TMJ disorders, Premier Dentistry of Eagle can help. We offer a full range of dental services, from preventive care to cosmetic procedures, and our experienced dentist will work with you to create a treatment plan that meets your individual needs. To make an appointment, contact us today!