Jaime HayThe temporomandibular joint links your jawbone to your skull. TMJ enables a variety of actions, like opening and closing your mouth, speaking, chewing, and yawning. You can experience a TMJ disorder if you suffer from a health condition or trauma, or injury from an accident.
You can manage mild cases of disorders at home with TMJ Dundalk, while severe ones require the expertise of specialists.
Causes of TMJ disorders
When you visit your healthcare provider, they will conduct diagnostic testing, which might help identify the causative factor of your TMJ disorder. The causes include:
- Trauma to the head
- Overuse due to jaw clenching
- Misaligned or worn-down disc
- Cartilage damage due to a health condition like arthritis
Signs and symptoms
If you have a TMJ disorder, you might experience the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Facial pain
- Earache
- Difficulty chewing
- Jaw locking
- Tenderness in the jaw
- Uneven bite
In addition to the above symptoms, the pain that TMJ disorders cause can limit your speech because you experience pain when you open and close your mouth.
Treatment options
Your physician will perform a physical examination to understand the disorder. They will order an X-ray or MRI to understand the condition’s intensity if more testing is required. After diagnosis and testing, your specialist recommends the most suitable treatment.
Your treatment options will include the following:
- Oral medications
- Steroid injections
- Botox injections
- Corrective dental treatment
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Surgery
Botox and steroid injections will help your muscles relax and reduce inflammation in your jaw. By using such treatments, you will be able to relieve pain and resume using your mouth without difficulties or complications.
Corrective dental treatment is suitable if you clench or grind your teeth. Your physician might recommend a dental splint or a bite guard that will align your teeth and minimize overall clenching and TMJ pain.
Your specialist might suggest surgery if the TMJ disorder does not respond to conservative treatment. There are different kinds of surgery, and they work to solve different problems. For example, you can undergo surgery to increase joint space to prevent jaw locking.
The following are different types of TMJ surgeries
- Arthrocentesis
- TMJ arthroscopy
- Joint replacement
- Open joint surgery
Depending on the surgery your physician will recommend, you might receive local or general anesthesia. For some procedures, you can leave the hospital on the same day. For others, you might have to stay overnight at the hospital.
Home relief methods
You can deal with a mild case of a TMJ disorder at home without your doctor’s intervention, especially if the cause is acute trauma to your jaw. You can use pain medications and self-massage techniques to relax your mouth muscles.
The massage will increase blood flow to the affected area and provide a relaxing effect. If it is a slight injury, you can use an ice pack for pain relief before you visit your doctor.
If you suffer from a TMJ disorder, visit CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center for treatment. You will meet caring and qualified staff ready to offer personalized treatment. Call or book an appointment online and restore your mouth’s functionality.
Hugh Hay
