Improving Your Dental Care

Do You Have TMJ Pain? Non-Surgical Treatment Options To Consider

One of the more painful dental problems are issues with the jaw. Jaw pain is often associated with TMJ, or the temporomandibular joint, which is generally relieved with a surgical procedure. However, there may be some non-surgical options to help you end the pain in your jaw. The following are some things you need to know:

What Pain Is Associated with TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint is on both sides of the jaw. This joint is attached to the skull and allows you to move your jawbone when you chew, talk, or smile. When these joints become misaligned or damaged in any way, you will experience significant pain in most instances.

When you have issues with your TMJ, you can experience clicking in the jaw, major headaches, ear ringing, locking of the jaw, and pain in the neck and shoulders.

What Can You Do in Lieu of Surgery?

There are some non-invasive options your dentist can perform that may help alleviate the pain from TMJ. One option is to repair any misalignments in the jaw if that is the source of your problem. When the jawbone is not properly aligned, pressure can mount on the TMJ and cause pain.

To fix a misalignment, your dentist may suggest straightening your teeth, replacing any missing teeth, or wearing dentures. All of these options can help realign the jaw into proper placement and potentially alleviate your jaw pain.

Your dentist may suggest that you wear a mouthguard to treat your jaw pain. If you frequently clench your jaw or grind your teeth, it can lead to jaw pain. Wearing a mouthguard will prevent you from engaging in those activities and eventually eliminate the pain. Your dentist will custom-fit a mouthguard to your mouth. The mouthguard is typically only worn at night, but your dentist may suggest prolonged wearing if your jaw clenching or teeth grinding is severe.

Your dentist may also suggest laser therapy. Laser therapy uses light wavelengths to help treat pain. These treatments do not hurt at all and are fairly short. They use no anesthesia and have no bad side effects. The therapy rapidly repairs the tissue in the jaw and helps facilitate healing. If you are interested in laser therapy for your TMJ issues, discuss the option with your dentist to see if it is a good option for you.

TMJ pain can be debilitating. If you have severe pain, make sure to see your dentist to ask about some of these treatment options as soon as possible to prevent further agony.


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