When you yawn, when you chew, sometimes when you just open your mouth to speak, your jaw gets too tight to move. It pops in and out of the joint. The pain radiates into your temple, your ear, your neck. If that’s the case, it sounds like your temporomandibular joint needs to be checked.
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD/TMJD) can be caused by a number of things like grinding, inflammation, trauma, or movement in the cushion of the jaw joint. Regardless of the source, the muscles controlling the jaw tense uncontrollably, and cause that radiating pain. For some patients, it even triggers a migraine. But how do you fix it?!
Wear a Splint
There are number of different splints available to help alleviate the pain from TMD. Here are some of the most common examples:
- A customized night guard can keep you from grinding or clenching your teeth together while you sleep
- A small splint to wear in the day. These protective appliances may help with behavior modification, reminding you to relax your jaw and stop clenching your teeth together.
Utilize Botox
The neurotoxin used by cosmetic surgeons to freeze wrinkle lines is also used to relax the muscles that allow you to clench or grind your teeth. This will provide you some relief from pain while allowing those damaged or inflamed soft tissues to rest and reset with the splints.
Correct it With Surgery
If none of the other solutions work, oral & maxillofacial surgeons like Dr. Cohen are able to perform arthroscopy, arthroplasty, and prosthetic joint replacement to correct even the most severe cases of TMD.
You don’t have to suffer every time you bite, yawn, or talk. Call Park Smiles NYC for a consultation and find out what options are recommended for you!