TMJ Treatment

Experts say that around 75% of Americans have had one or more signs and symptoms of TMJ or temporomandibular joints disorder. It can be very painful disorder to suffer from. Though there has been no cure found for this disorder, there are several therapies recommended by experts as good TMJ treatments to at least alleviate the pain and improve the functioning of the jaw joint and muscles. Medical experts also advise that all possible non-invasive therapies be exhausted first before the last resort of treatment, which is surgery. Unfortunately, there is no cure to TMJ outside of surgery, but quite often the risks and side effects of this surgery outweigh the potential rewards. It's far better to maintain and manage the pain instead.

There are gentle therapies that dentists specializing in TMJ disorders can first advise you to do. These home-care treatments such as moist heat and cold treatments on the face, vitamin and food supplements, as well as gentle exercises on the mouth and jaw will be used as first hand remedies until X-rays will be administered to diagnose further the gravity of the disorder. Mouth guards may also be prescribed. In place of mouth guards, which can sometimes be more uncomfortable, splints are now used and inserted over the top of the teeth to relax the parts hit by clenching and grinding. In the long run, your dentist may recommend orthodontics or even some exercises for TMJ.

It is only when these simple techniques fail that a more aggressive form of treatment will be recommended. For prolonged and extreme pain that cannot be remedied with home-care solutions, your dentist will use local anesthesia to ease the pain until the last option of surgical operation will be done. Surgical operation will involve removal of the joints and replacement with implants.

The last resort of surgery can be really risky and costlym and while your TMJ disorder can still be eased with simple techniques from your dentist, you can also try doing some things to help the treatments that your dentist recommends. Chewing hard foods such as gum, steak and any other chewy, crunchy, or tough foods should be avoided. Exercises and relaxation techniques on the mouth and jaw should be continued. Lots of fluids and enough rest are also recommended. Your dentist may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medications.

To have a holistic approach on the treatment of TMJ disorder, treatment will also include the opinion and supervision of several other medical experts such as a neurologist, and ENT specialist and a pain management specialist. It is also advised that you do your own researching to assist your dentist since there is still no board or medical professional organization that certifies TMJ specialists so a second and third opinion is always recommended before our make any big decision