Newhall Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group
Do You Have a TMJ Disorder?
The more times you answered “yes”, the more likely it is that you have a TMJ disorder.
Understaning TMJ disorders will also help you understand how they are traeted.
Trouble With Your Jaw?
TMJ disorders develop for many reasons. You might clench or grind your teeth, tightening your jaw muscles and stessing your TM joints. You may have damaged jaw joints due to injury or disease. Injuries and arthritis can damage the joint directly or strech or tear the muscle ligaments.
As a result, the disk, Which is made of cartilage and functions as the “cushion” of the jaw joint, can slip out of position. Whatever the cause, the results may include a misaligned bite, pain clicking, or grating noise when you open your mouth or trouble opening your mouth wide.
- Are you aware of grinding or clenching your teeth?
- Do you wake up with sore, stiff muscles around your jaw?
- Does the pain get worse when you clench you teeth?
- Does stess make your clenching and pain worse?
- Have you had problems (such as arthritis) with other joints?
- Do your teeth meet differently from time to time?
- Is it hard to use your front teeth to bite or tear food?
- Do you have frequent headaches or neck aches?
- Does your jaw click, pop, grate, catch, or lock when you open your mouth?476
- Is it difficult or painful to open your mouth, eat, or yawn?
- Have you ever injured your neck, head, or jaws?
- Do you have teeth that no logner touch when you bite?
- Are your teeth sensitive, loose, broken or worn?
Understanding TMJ disorders will also help you understand how they are treated.
Non-Surgical Treatment
There are various treatment options that our oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Drs. Landa, Mizin and Scaramella, can utilize to improve the harmony and function of your jaw. Once an evaluation confirms a diagnosis of TMJ disorder, your Oral Surgeon will determine the proper cause of treament.
It is important to note that treatment always works best with a team approach of self-care joined with professional care.
The initial goals are to relieve the muscle spasm and joint pain. This is usually accomplished with a pain reliever, anti-inflammtory, or muscle relaxant. Streroids can be injected directly into the joints to reduce pain inflammation.
Self-Care Treatments Can Often Be Effective As Well and Include:
- Resting your jaw
- Keeping your teeth apart when you are not swallowing or eating
- Eating soft foods
- Applying ice and heat
- Exercising your jaw
- Practicing good posture
- Resting your jaw
- Keeping your teeth apart when you are not swallowing or eating
- Eating soft foods
- Applying ice and heat
- Exercising your jaw
- Practicing good posture
Self-Care Treatments Can Often Be Effective As Well and Include:
What About Bite Correction or Surgery?
If your TMJ disorder has caused problems with how your teeth fit together, you may need treatment such as bite adjustment (equilibration), orthodontics with or without jaw reconstruction, or restorative dental work.
Surgical options such as arthroscopy and open joint repair restructuring are sometimes needed, but are reserved for severe cases.
Our oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Drs. Landa, Mizin and Scaramella, do not consider TMJ surgery unless the jaw can’t open, is dislocated and nonreducible, has severe degeneration, or the patient has undergone appliance treatment unsuccessfully.
Stress Management Techniques, Physical Therapy & Nightguards
Stress management techniques such as biofeedback or physical therapy may also be recommended, as well as a temporary, clear plastic appliance known as a splint.
A splint (or nightguard) fits over your top or bottom teeth and helps keep your teeth apart, thereby relaxing the muscles and reducing pain. There are different types of appliances used for different purposes.
A nightguard helps you stop clenching or grinding your teeth and reduces muscle tension at night and helps to protect the cartilage and joint surfaces. An anterior positioning appliance moves your jaw forward, relives pressure on parts of your jaw and aids in disk repositioning.
It may be worn 24 hours/day to help your jaw heal. . Appliances also help to protect from tooth wear.