Discomfort and pain in your jaw joint can have a debilitating effect on your life. It can make it hard to speak and chew normally, and can make you uncomfortable throughout the day. We will discuss some information about how the jaw joint works and what can be done when it becomes painful.
TMJ is short for the name of jaw joint itself, the TemporoMandibular Joint. When we have pain in the jaw joints, it is referred to as TMD, or TemporoMandibular Disorder. TMD occurs when patients have pain in the muscles supporting the TMJ or when the joint itself is inflamed. TMJ pain can be caused by clenching and grinding, which is basically over work of the jaw muscles. Imagine if you went to the gym and did a hard workout, your muscles would be sore for a few days afterwards. When we clench and grind, we are giving our jaw muscles a workout, and if we overdo it the muscles will be sore. This strain on the muscles can feel like headaches, pain when chewing, and/or pain in the sides of your face. This is the most common cause of TMD.
Other causes can be arthritis in the joint, inflammation in the joint or deterioration of the joint. When the ligaments around the joint become inflamed, it can make it painful for the joint to fully seat, which can make you tend to hit on your front teeth more. There is also a disc in the joint that helps cushion the movements. If that disc becomes displaced it can make a clicking noise when you open and close, which is usually not painful.
The first treatment for addressing jaw joint pain or TMD is a bite splint. Dyras Dental can make a custom fitted bite splint that is precisely adjusted to support your bite properly. The bite splint is worn at night and is adjusted in such a way that it gives the jaw joint a chance to relax and heal from any clenching and grinding you may have done during the day. While you may still clench and grind on the bite splint, it will prevent you from being able to bite too hard and protects your teeth from further wear at night.
TMD can also be treated with physical therapy, Botox, and surgery, however the vast majority of patients will get sufficient relief with a bite splint. Dr Laura Dyras can do a thorough evaluation of your jaw joint to determine what the likely cause is for any TMJ pain you may be experiencing and determine the best route of treatment for your unique needs. If you or any one you know suffers from jaw joint pain, call our office to see how we can help you feel better!
