Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction may create serious problems for you if you don’t treat it properly and quickly, under the guidance of expert professionals. You may experience mild to sharp pain in the jaw joint together with the adjoining areas–and as a result–may have difficulties in even opening your mouth easily. Besides, you may also suffer from recurring headaches, ear pain, neck ache, jaw pain, etc.
Some specific not-too-good oral habits–including clenching of jaw and grinding of teeth, strain or injury to the jaw, wear and tear, and aging — may aggravate the condition, or be responsible for it. Like other joints in the body, it is also susceptible to arthritis.
What’s TMJ?
It’s an incredibly vital part of the body. You use it whenever you open your mouth to speak, yawn, chew, and consume food. It helps you to open your mouth up and down, left and right. As it’s frequently subjected to repetitive movements, a high risk for wear and tear — and in some cases – even disorder in this joint, called TMJ, constantly lurks.
What Are The 6 Key Signs of TMJ?
- Acute pain or soreness in or about the jaw, ears, temples, neck, face, or jaw muscles
- Constant Headaches
- Painful clicks or pops while moving the jaw
- Restricted movement of the jaw
- Difficulty in chewing
- Ear issues, including pain or high sensitivity to noise and wind
TMJ: How to Permanently Cure It?
It’s possible to cure TMJ permanently. The exciting news is that on numerous occasions, you don’t even have to seek professional help as the problem would vanish on its own. However, if you find the pain unbearable or any kind of discomfort. Ask for medical assistance.
Before you do that try to cure TMJ by doing certain simple things at home:
1. Put Ice Pack – Use an ice pack to get relief from inflammation and pain. All you have to do is put some ice cubes in a clean cotton cloth and then expose the aching joints to it. Ensure though that you don’t apply the cubes for over 15 minutes.
2. Use Moist Heat – It can prove highly effective and help in curing joint injury. TMJ is more or less like other body joints, and so a moist heat or hot water bottle, wrapped in a moist cloth, can help you to get some (although temporary) respite from TMJ pain. While using moist heat, ensure that you don’t scorch up your face.
3. Have Soft Food – Eat soft or mixed food so that your jaws don’t have to work too hard. Keep away from hard or crispy food, including the foods that require more muscle movements to chew as this may lead to jaw pain.
4. Get over-the-Counter Medicines – If you find the pain intolerable, take certain medicines that you would get easily from your local chemist, on the advice of your dentist. He may even advise you stronger pain killers if he feels there’s a need for these.
5. Relax Your Facial Muscles – The technique can help you eliminate TMJ disorder. Just keep your lips comfortable and teeth away from each other. Following deep and slow breathing methods can also prove rather helpful.
6. Do certain Jaw Exercises – One of the most effective ways to get relief from TMJ pain is jaw exercise. Do simple and smooth jaw exercises as advised by your doctor to get relief from jaw pain.
However, if any of these or a combination of these don’t work in your case, go for:
7. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation – It may help you significantly. You will be subjected to low-voltage electric shocks. For this, current modes would be put in, in the inflamed region of your jaw and electric currents would be passed through the nerves.
However, if even this doesn’t work, go for:
8. Surgery – This though is the last resort, even as several medical professionals don’t recommend it. Arthroscopy is the surgery done for TMJ. For this, your TMJ would be correctly positioned and then the activities that help remove any critical internal joint issues would be performed.
In TMJ arthroscopy, your doctor inserts a small thin tube (Cannula) into the joint space, and then uses a small camera called an Arthroscope to view the area in detail. Based on the findings during this examination, your doctor will recommend a treatment plan.
Final Thoughts
Take TMJ disorder or pain seriously. Don’t overlook TMJ discomfort. If you don’t treat it on time, the situation may go out of your hand and your condition may become worse. From having soft food to performing certain specific jaw exercises or to undergoing the Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation process, do everything possible for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Treatment to get relief, and give your troubling joints the required amount of rest so that the pain goes away.
Call (904) 474-5444 our dental office in St. Augustine, FL today to book an appointment. We can diagnose and treat your TMJ Dysfunction and help you get relief from its pain.
