Top 5 Ways for How TMJ is Treated
How TMJ is treated will depend on a number of different factors. Some of these factors are the severity of the disorder, your pain tollerance, and your overall oral health.
This article will outline the top 5 ways for how TMJ is treated and offer you some guidance to ease the pain you might currently be feeling.
Table of Contents
How TMJ is Treated: An Overview
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMD, includes any dysfunction or disability of the temporomandibular joint. How TMJ is treated may depend on the causes of the pain.
Common causes of TMD are:
- Damaged joint cartilage caused by arthritis
- The jaw is out of alignment causing jaw disk erosion
- Improper alignment of the bite
- Trauma to the jaw and jaw joint
- Long term grinding and clenching
- Chronically overworking the jaw with constant movement over time
- Degenerative joint diseases like Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Top 5 Ways for How TMJ is Treated
TMJ disorder can present itself in many ways. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- headaches
- facial pain
- neck stiffness and pain
- earaches
How TMJ is treated can be something like a as-needed treatment during flare-ups or preventively through lifestyle changes and with the help of professionals. Here are the top 5 ways for how TMJ is treated:
1. At Home Remedies
Relieving pain from TMJ with home treatments focuses on healing the joint that leads to the pain. During periods of TMJ pain, support the joint by:
- Eating a soft food diet that minimizes jaw joint movement and promotes muscle relaxation.
- Avoid excessively moving the jaw for long periods like talking or chewing gum.
- Warm compresses help with muscle pain and stiffness. Heat will increase blood flow and help relax the muscles that support the TMJ. Use for periods of 15-20 minutes.
- Cold compresses will help with pain associated with inflammation and swelling. Alternate for periods of 15-20 minutes.
- Use over-the-counter NSAIDs as instructed to reduce inflammation while reducing pain.
- Practice stress management techniques to prevent clenching and grinding. Examples of these can be meditation, exercise, and professional counseling.
2. Jaw Exercises
Jaw exercises are a great way to prevent TMJ flare-ups. Exercising your jaw will help strengthen, stretch, and relax the supporting TMJ structures. Avoid jaw exercises when the TMJ is in pain. This can increase the pain and prolong healing during TMJ flare-ups.
- Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind the upper front teeth. Repeatedly, slowly open and close your mouth.
- Stand tall and flat against the wall. Pull your chin down towards the neck, creating a “double chin”. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat.
- Place your thumb under the chin. Apply some pressure while opening and closing. Hold open for 3-5 seconds before closing.
3. TMJ Massage and Acupuncture
Another way how TMJ is treated is massage therapy. Massage will help relax the muscles and ligaments and reduce nerve compression. The masseter muscle is the powerful muscle responsible for chewing, grinding, and clenching.
- Professional massage is an excellent option to heal the TMJ. A massage therapist, physical therapist, and even chiropractors can help.
- For treating TMJ at home with massage, locate the masseter muscle on the cheekbone behind the molar area, in front of the ears.
- Press gently with two or three fingers and move in a circular motion.
Acupuncture therapy involves inserting needles into the jaw, face, and ear. This includes the trigger points of the medial pterygoid, masseter, the temporalis muscles, and the lateral pterygoid.
It can relieve pain, downregulate inflammation, reduce stress, and promote muscle relaxation.
4. Professional Appliances and Treatments
A custom-fit night guard is a great way to alleviate pain and prevent damage to the anatomy surrounding the TMJ. A night guard is a barrier between the top and bottom teeth opening the jaw slightly. A professionally made night guard will:
- Provides a custom fit that protects the teeth and stays in the mouth better while sleeping.
- Promotes tension relief and cushions the jaw muscles promoting relaxation.
- Prevents future damage to the TMJ and surrounding anatomy.
- Promotes TMJ healing and long-term relief.
For more information on TMJ appliances, check out our Night Guards for TMJ article.
Botox Therapy is another in-office approach to healing the TMJ by targeting the muscles. This includes inserting botox into the forehead, temple, jaw muscles, and other areas to find TMJ relief.
5. TMJ Surgery
Chronic TMJ pain can be debilitating and interfere with daily life. TMJ surgery is the most invasive treatment route. If the pain is continual and cannot resolve itself with at-home remedies, talking to your doctor about surgery may be the next step.
- TMJ Arthroscopy: This surgical procedure is done by opening a small hole and inserting a light and camera (Arthroscope) to visualize the joint. Being less invasive, this surgery’s recovery time is faster.
- TMJ Arthrocentesis: This surgical procedure involves using fluid to reduce inflammation byproducts and reduce pressure decreasing pain. The procedure does not involve an incision and any recovery is minimal.
- TMJ Arthroplasty: This surgery replaces, repositions, or removes parts of the joint. For TMD, this most likely involves the disc. This surgery comes with a high improvement rate in TMJ pain in jaw and range of motion.
- TMJ Full Joint Replacement: A TMJ joint replacement is only recommended for severe and debilitating pain. Recovery time for this surgery can be up to 8 weeks.
How TMJ is Treated: Maintaining Good Posture
The best way to support your jaw long-term is to position it correctly. Having good posture doesn’t just involve sitting up straight with shoulders back and down.
A protective jaw posture is important to prevent TMJ pain. Here are some things to think about when attempting to correct your jaw posture:
- When relaxed, the jaw should be slightly open. The tongue should rest behind the top front teeth on the roof of the mouth.
- If the top and bottom teeth are touching, you are doing some level of clenching that engages the TMJ and supporting muscles.
- Do you best to keep your jaw relaxed and avoid grinding your teeth
Additional Resources on How TMJ is Treated
To learn more on TMJ pain and disorders, check out our featured posts below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can TMJ go away on its own?
For most people, TMJ pain goes away as the joint and muscles heal. Flare-ups can last for a few days up to a few weeks. Talk to your dentist and doctor if the TMJ pain gets worse and more frequent.
How do doctors cure TMJ?
Dental and medical professionals will try to cure TMJ through non-invasive approaches first like night guards and lifestyle changes. If further treatment is needed, there are several different surgery options to choose from.
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