TMJ treatment for jaw pain, clenching and headaches

What TMJ disorder is

“TMJ” is the joint; TMD, temporomandibular joint disorder, is what happens when it hurts or stops working smoothly. There are three broad kinds:

• Muscular. The most common. Tender, stiff, painful jaw muscles, often with pain when chewing and trouble opening or closing your mouth.
• Structural. Problems in the joint itself, which can cause clicking or popping and limited jaw movement.
• Injury-related. Damage from trauma to the jaw, including dislocation or fracture.

Symptoms

• Jaw pain or tenderness
• Clicking or popping
• Difficulty chewing
• Trouble opening your mouth
• Chronic earaches
• Headaches
• Facial pain
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Clenching and grinding
• Dizziness

If it isn’t treated

Ongoing TMD can lead to worn and cracked teeth from grinding, persistent headaches and earaches, pain spreading to the head, neck and shoulders, and episodes of lockjaw. Some people also report ringing in the ears, dizziness, poor sleep, and numbness or tingling in the hands.

How Dr. Love treats it

A custom bite splint

A removable acrylic splint, custom fitted to hold your jaws in a relaxed resting position. It can be worn during the day or at night, and it can ease headaches, fatigue and muscle pain.

Botox for TMJ

Botox relaxes the jaw muscles and reduces tension in the joint, which can ease pain and headaches and help prevent grinding. The treatment takes minutes, and results can last up to six months.

An oral appliance, when the airway is involved

Clenching and grinding at night often travel with a narrowed airway. If a sleep test shows sleep apnea, a custom oral appliance can treat it while also easing TMJ symptoms. How oral appliances work.