Protecting Our Kids' Smiles

If you have pain in your jaw joint, along with clicking or popping, you might be suffering from TMJ disorder. The TMJ is the temporomandibular joint, which goes from your skull to your jaw. When you have the TMJ condition, it causes swelling, pain, and various other forms of discomfort. Here are some things to know about TMJ disorder.

Symptoms Can be Acute or Chronic

Some people experience acute symptoms where they are short-lived. Others have chronic TMJ disorder symptoms that are continuous over long periods of time. It is also not unusual to not experience any symptoms for months or years before it returns. The main symptoms of TMJ are pain and discomfort in the teeth, jaw, face, neck, or shoulders. You may also experience  locking of the jaw, preventing you from opening or closing your mouth temporarily. There may also be clicking or popping sounds when opening or closing your mouth. Chewing may also make the pain or clicking more obvious.

You May Have a Higher Risk of Getting TMJ Disorder

While there isn't a known cause for TMJ syndrome or disorder, there are some risk factors that tend to be common among people with this condition. Since the pain from TMJ worsens due to teeth clenching, having muscle tension or stress that leads to clenching or grinding can be a risk factor. There may also be a higher risk if you have had trauma to your jaw, misaligned teeth, overbite or underbite, or bad posture of the neck or upper back muscles. You are also at a higher risk if you are a woman between 20 and 40 years old.

There Are Home Treatments Available

A good thing about TMJ is that not all treatments are medical or surgical. There are some home treatments your dentist will most likely recommend before turning to other treatments. For example, taking anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, can make a big difference. They help to reduce inflammation and relieve pain at the same time. You may also want to try hot or cold packs, and resting your jaw by eating soft foods. Avoid using the jaw too much during times when it is causing pain or clicking. Also avoid resting your jaw on your chin.

Medical Treatments Help With Severe TMJ

If you have severe TMJ, there are some other treatments that help to treat the condition. For example, you might want to try needle therapy through arthrocentesis. The needles are placed in the TMJ joint to help reduce the side effects, including pain. Botulinum toxins and other chemicals can also be injected into the joint to reduce inflammation and help to reduce your severe pain and discomfort. The necessity for surgery is rare, though it is available if you need it.