Finding the Best TMJ Solutions

Do you feel pain in behind your ear when you talk or chew your food?  Do you hear clicking or popping noises when you open and close your mouth?  Do you have ringing in your ears or feel that your nose is stuffy frequently? When you wake up in the morning, does your face hurt?

Do you wake up with severe headaches or toothaches?  If you’ve experienced one or two of these symptoms, you might have TMJ.  TMJ is the abbreviation for temporomandibular joint and there are disorders or syndromes that are related to this joint as it is one of the most regularly used joints of the body.   If the TMJ is overused or overstrained, it becomes stressed, inflamed or misaligned causing pain or even locked jaw.  Injuries like punches to the jaw can also be a cause of TMJ.

A visit to your physician or dentist is required if you have experienced one or more of the symptoms listed above so that TMJ can be properly diagnosed and all the options for treatment can be given out.   A medical practitioner will start with your complete medical history and move on to a clinical examination.  To ensure that what you are suffering from is really TMJ, x-rays or casts of your teeth might be taken.

The doctor or dentist will also explain how the temporomandibular joint works so that you have an understanding of what might be causing the TMJ and avoid those bad habits entirely.  The best of the solutions for TMJ are mostly noninvasive meaning that surgery does not need to be performed and only as a last resort to alleviate TMJ pain and treat TMJ in its entirety.

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Firstly, stress evaluations are performed to assess how stress is dealt with on a day to day basis.  People sometimes clench their teeth in stressful situations and grind their teeth at night while they sleep.  This causes a lot of strain on the TMJ and therefore pain in the facial muscles or pain focused on the TMJ is felt.  Breathing exercises and meditation are better ways to deal with stress.

Purchase custom fitted dental splints for night time teeth grinding and jaw clenching.  These dental splints can also be used to put the jaw back into its proper alignment.   Jaw relaxation exercises and massage is also recommended to reduce the pressure that is placed on the TMJ.  Moving to a soft diet lessens the use of the TMJ in chewing too.   If the pieces are too big in food or the food requires that you open your mouth wide, slice the food into manageable pieces.

There is no need to overextend the jaw to get food into the mouth.   Increase fish or foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids in your diet to reduce inflammation of the TMJ joint.

If TMJ syndrome and TMJ pain is not treated by these methods, it is then that surgery is called for.   Surgery can be arthrocentesis where the joint is irrigated with anesthesia or the TMJ is replaced entirely.  Always get your physician’s advice before pursuing a course of action to treat TMJ.