People dealing with TMJ may wonder if their discomfort will go away without requiring any outside intervention.
In short, the answer is no. After the disorder is triggered, patients will need some form of therapy to manage it. Which one depends greatly on your specific case and what caused the problem.
Here are some ways to manage and treat TMJ and experience some much-needed pain relief:
Minor cases of TMJ may be managed with just a few key changes in your habits, and sometimes, it can even make it go away for good.
For example, if you routinely chew on hard objects like pens or ice, this may be making your condition worse, as you’re placing a lot more pressure on your teeth and jaw, leading to soreness. Giving your jaw a break could help you experience relief.
A custom mouthguard can hold your jaw in a better position and remove tension from your muscles. If the muscles are relaxed, then you’ll also experience fewer TMJ-related pains.
Moreover, some people experience TMJ symptoms because they grind their teeth while sleeping. Mouthguards can prevent this as well and protect your teeth from grinding against each other.
Physical therapy for TMJ will focus on exercises designed to improve mobility and strengthen the muscles around the joint.
Seeing a physical therapist for TMJ can be useful, especially if your condition is more severe and other measures like habit changes and mouthguards aren’t enough to help you experience relief.
Botox is becoming an increasingly popular treatment for TMJ pain. It's injected into the muscles surrounding the jaw joints, which will prevent them from contracting. As the muscles relax, your symptoms can be alleviated.
Unfortunately, Botox is not a permanent solution. Its effects will usually wear off in a few months, after which you’ll need additional injections.
Lastly, some TMJ cases may require surgery. Patients with severe conditions generally cannot effectively manage them with other measures, so a surgical option is the best choice for them.
Surgery may help fix an issue with the jaw joint or remove scar tissue around it that could be leading to your symptoms.
If you’re dealing with TMJ symptoms, don’t assume the condition will get better on its own. Come meet with Dr. Bobbio, our Brambleton dentist ,for a consultation and to get the right treatment plan for your specific case.
Dr. Bobbio will help guide you through the process and help you learn to manage your condition through a combination of custom mouthguards and habit changes.
To get started, request an appointment at Bobbio Family Dental.
Have more questions about TMJ treatments or our other services? Then feel free to call us at (571) 371-0767, and we’d be happy to answer all your questions!