TMJ is often used to refer to TMJ disorder, a condition affecting the jaw. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, located on each side of the face where the lower jaw connects to the skull. This joint can become inflamed or misaligned, causing pain and limited range of motion in your jaw, among other symptoms. 

How is TMJ disorder treated? Can it be permanently cured? Here’s what you need to know about TMJ disorder and the treatment options available. 

What is TMJ Disorder?

To understand treatment of TMJ disorder, it helps to gain a better understanding of the condition itself. TMJ disorder occurs when the temporomandibular joint becomes irritated, inflamed, misaligned, or otherwise damaged. It is a relatively common condition that ranges in severity. In mild cases the muscles and ligaments can become inflamed. In severe cases misalignment of the joint can cause the disc to slip out of place so that the bones rub together without cushioning. 

What Causes TMJ Disorder? 

There are a number of possible causes for TMJ disorder: 

• Teeth grinding. If you grind or clench your teeth, either at night or during the day, the excessive force can irritate your TMJ. 
• Excessive use. Constantly chewing gum, talking, singing, or even frequent yawning can overwork the TMJ. 
• Eating hard foods. Chewing on hard, chewy, or tough foods can put strain on your TMJ. 
• Chewing/biting non-food items. Chewing on pens and pencils or opening things with your teeth can cause TMJ disorder. 
• Injury. A blow to the face, such as an airbag from a car accident or a contact sports injury can knock the TMJ out of alignment. 
• Arthritis. Arthritis is a condition affecting the joints of the body, which can also include the TMJ.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorder 

The following symptoms often indicate TMJ disorder:

• Pain in the joint area
• Pain in the facial muscles around the TMJ
• Limited range of motion in the jaw
• Popping or clicking sound when moving your jaw
• Difficulty chewing
• Ear pain
• Locked jaw 

Treatment for TMJ Disorder 

In many cases treatment for TMJ disorder provides permanent relief of your symptoms, but not always. It is necessary to get to the source of the problem and eliminate the cause. Treatment options include: 

• Self treatment. There are some basic treatments you can try at home to relieve the symptoms of TMJ disorder. Apply ice to your jaw and face in the location of the TMJ. Rest your jaw as much as possible by eating soft foods and talking as little as possible. You can also take anti-inflammatory medications to relieve pain and inflammation. Many patients find relief after a few days to a week of these treatments. 
• Professional intervention. If self-applied treatments fail to provide long term relief, your dentist can offer other options. Steroid and Botox injections are sometimes effective against TMJ disorder. A bite splint can help realign the joint so that the inflamed tissue can heal. 
• Surgery. In severe cases where the disc has slipped out of place or the joint is damaged, surgery may be necessary to correct TMJ disorder. 

How To Permanently Cure TMJ Disorder

The only way to permanently cure TMJ disorder is to eliminate the cause. For example, if chronic teeth grinding is the cause, wearing a night guard can absorb the force and reduce the pressure on the TMJ. If your eating habits are the cause, you may need to make some adjustments to softer foods. It is impossible to prevent all injuries, but it helps to wear the proper protective gear when playing sports. Once your symptoms are relieved and your TMJ has healed, the key to permanent cure is prevention. 

When and Where to Seek Treatment for TMJ Disorder

If your TMJ symptoms are severe and self-treatment has been unsuccessful, it may be time for professional treatment. Queens Crown Dental provides a variety of treatments for TMJ disorder. We start with the least invasive options, only resorting to surgery if all else has failed. Our goal is to provide you with a permanent cure. 

Call 808-526-2800 or contact us today to learn more and schedule an appointment.

Temporomandibular joint disease, or TMJ, is a condition that affects the joint that connects the jaw to the skull. It’s a complex condition often caused by misaligned teeth that worsens over time.

TMJ is complicated to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to other conditions, such as ear infections and dental problems. Issues like these make it difficult for professionals to identify the specific cause of a person’s symptoms.

Additionally, the symptoms of TMJ vary widely from person to person – making the best course of treatment hard to identify. It doesn’t help that there is no specific test to diagnose TMJ, so medical and dental professionals must rely on a combination of medical history, physical examinations, and imaging tests to make a diagnosis.

The good news is that once properly diagnosed, TMJ does respond well to treatment options. If you suspect you have TMJ, here are some signs and symptoms you should not ignore.

Common Signs of TMJ

As previously mentioned, TMJ is a disorder that affects the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement. Some early common signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders include:

• Pain and/or tenderness in the ear, face, neck, or shoulders
• Difficulty chewing or biting
• Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds when moving the jaw
• Difficulty opening or closing the mouth
• A dull ache around the jaw muscles
• Pain in the joint that worsens throughout the day

Other symptoms often include headaches, dizziness, earaches, and difficulty swallowing. You may also notice changes in the way your upper and lower teeth align, or your jaw may lock in an open or shut position.

Causes of TMJ

The exact cause of TMJ is not well understood, but it is thought to be related to a combination of factors, including: 

• Trauma or injury to the jaw or face
• Grinding or clenching of the teeth
• Joint disorders (like arthritis)
• Misalignment of the teeth or jaw
• Stress and tension
• Genetics or hereditary factors
• Misaligned bite
• Poor posture
• Improper jaw positioning during activities such as eating or speaking

Treating TMJ Disorders at Queen Crowns Dental

Once a proper diagnosis of TMJ is made, and the cause is identified, then there are a variety of ways to treat the disorder.

In less severe cases, TMJ can be treated at home by applying ice to the jaw, switching to soft foods, massaging facial muscles, resting the jaw, and taking anti-inflammatory medications. In more advanced cases, professional treatment is advised to evaluate the condition and provide additional treatments like a bite splint, mouthguard, or steroid injections. These options promote healing while keeping the jaw in alignment.

If the above treatments fail to work, surgical intervention is an option. Surgery may even be required to remove damaged tissue and restructure the joint.

At Queens Crown Dental, we carefully evaluate your symptoms to diagnose TMJ. If TMJ is determined, we help plan the best course of treatment based on your unique situation. Our goal is to relieve your symptoms and provide a permanent solution to the TMJ disorder. For more information and to schedule an appointment, contact us at 808-526-2800.