TMJ Treatment Ellicott City, MD

TMJ Treatment Procedures

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is where the mandible (lower jaw) connects with the temporal bone of the skull. This joint allows the mandible to move. It is the only movable bone of the head. It moves to allow for chewing and speaking by fitting into the temporal bone.

The mandible (lower jaw) has a ball joint (condoyle) that fits into the indention (fossa) in the temporal bone. Similar to larger joints, it has a meniscus (cushion) in between the condoyle and the fossa. This joint is connected with tendons and other connective tissues.

These can get overworked and become sore or even dislocated. The muscles and tissues guide and help the lower jaw move side to side and up and down. Complications can arise that cause pain and discomfort to the joint.

-Night Guard, Sport Bite Guard, Soft Night Guard

Why Does My Jaw Hurt?

Joints in the human body are complicated mechanisms that are similar to hinges in that they aid in the movement of a bone. In the case of the TMJ, damage can occur from trauma, overuse, and disease. The most common reason for pain in the TMJ is overuse. The muscles of chewing are not that recognized as muscles that need a massage or to be used to their potential and exercised. These muscles are used in speech, chewing, and grinding.

Some of us grind our teeth in our sleep or during the day and that puts stress on our jaw muscles and in turn, our jaw joint gets sore and just like any joint in our body gets worn down. Bone degeneration might occur from diseases such as osteoporosis or some cancers. It takes some time for the muscles to get sore enough to cause pain but that is the first sign of TMJ issues. If left untreated it can lead to other more serious problems later on. Always ask for a TMJ exam when going to a new dentist or if it has been a while since your last exam.

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TMJ Treatment

If the TMJ issues are advanced a referral will be written up to a massage therapist and undergo a series of massage treatments of the chewing muscles. Muscle relaxers via tablets and creams can also be prescribed and used by the patient to help heal the area. Pain medications are prescribed depending on the severity of the pain. Typically, an over the counter analgesic will alleviate the pain. Check with your dental health professional to make sure you are on the right analgesic.

How to Prevent Issues with TMJ

There are several ways to prevent damage to the TMJ. Some can be purchased over the counter in Ellicott City. Sports mouth guards are a universal shape and they can be boiled in a pan of hot water to soften them and then put the mouth to form a generic shape. These types of sport bite guards are a soft night guard and can stop the stress put on the jaw muscles, meniscus, and bones. There are other mouth guards that can be made specifically for your mouth at our general dentist in Ellicott City. These are called night guards or soft night guards. The concept behind a mouth guard is to allow pressure relief on the joint itself. Protecting the teeth is why they are used as sports bite guards. However, they are also found to ease the joint stopping any progression of TMJ pain and inflammation.

Conclusion

Mouth bite guards and night guards are the most common TMJ treatment. Following a soft food diet and avoiding chewing gum and other chewy or crunchy foods is important to calming the inflammation of the joint and surrounding tissues. A combination of medicine, mouth bite guards, and the diet are important pieces to healing the joint no matter what reason the joint is damaged. Serious trauma may require surgical intervention, however, that will be determined by the oral health provider and an oral surgeon. Call your Hoco Dentistry health care provider today at 410-465-3021 to set up a consultation appointment if you have any symptoms of TMJ damage.