When you learn that you are suffering from TMJ disorder (TMD), you are likely going to respond like most patients – you want to know how to make things better, of course! Dealing with daily discomfort, lingering headaches, pain that spreads to surrounding areas, and even problems with opening and closing your mouth may become extremely frustrating. While you will certainly be able to practice some lifestyle changes to promote rested jaw joints, we will suggest a couple extremely helpful TMJ treatments to repair the problem.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Regardless of the particular cause of the TMJ problem (there are many potential causes), we will usually suggest that our patients receive oral appliance therapy for their TMJ treatment. This is a very gentle approach that is noninvasive and easy to practice on a daily basis. Each night before you go to bed, you will secure a comfortable device (much like a mouth guard) over your teeth. The device will work its magic by positioning your jaws into a beneficial setup – the goal is to reduce strain or pressure on your TMJs.
Orthodontic Treatment
If the underlying cause of your TMJ disorder is the fact that your teeth are poorly aligned – this is a common problem – you may find that we suggest orthodontic care as a part of your TMJ treatment. In many instances, by aligning your teeth we will eliminate the problem that is leading to stressed jaw joints. You see, misalignment may cause clenching or grinding (bruxism) and may also lead to overworked jaw joints – this happens because of bruxism or due to your constant need to shift your jaws to reach a comfortable position. Fix the problem and your jaw joints can enjoy a restful state.
