TMJ Treatment

Overview

The Temporomandibular Joints connect the jaw to the skull to open and close the mouth in a sliding hinge motion. TMJD refers to a disorder of the temporomandibular joint. Below are the causes, symptoms and TMJ treatment options.

Causes

Mouth breathing
Headaches
Neck pain
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn
TMJ pain
Thumb/Finger sucking
Nail-biting
A routine habit of resting with the lips apart

Symptoms can include:

Pain of different qualities, frequencies, and severity
Inability or difficulty opening the mouth
Pain, difficulty, or discomfort chewing
Clicking, popping, or grinding sensations in the joint
Jaw ‘locking’, making it hard to open and close the mouth
Headache and muscular tension
An uneven or uncomfortable bite
Ear ringing, popping, or stuffiness

Treatment

There are many different successful approaches to treat TMJD, all dependent on an individual patient’s needs. At Dexter Dental Studio, we offer the following treatments for TMJD:

Botox

Supplements

Custom Bite Splints

Supplements

We offer a specific blend of nutritional supplements from Standard Process, a supplement company focused on quality formulations. These specialized supplements support bone and joint health. Supplements are dependent upon the specific symptoms and causes of TMJD and communication with a primary care physician is encouraged if additional supplements and prescriptions are in use.

Custom Bite Splints

Custom bite splints are available using our photo scanner (no more messy molds!) and 3-D printer. The 3-D printer allows us to provide the bite splint without the additional wait time of a third-party lab!

Botox

Our office offers Botox as a treatment for muscular tension contributing to TMJD. Muscular dysfunction around the TMJ can contribute to dysfunction of the joint, increasing tension headaches

Botox blocks nerve signals that cause muscle movement and reduces or eliminates facial pain by allowing the muscles to stay relaxed. Results can be felt 3-5 days post-treatment and can last for approximately 3 months.

This treatment can assist in re-educating muscles. After 2-3 treatments, for many patients, the muscles do not retain the old tension patterns that contributed to clenching and grinding.