Most Common Treatments for TMJ

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, can be quite a discomfort to live with. It mainly leads to the pain in jawbone and the muscles related to this area. You may need to know that TMJs basically serve as the hinges which connect lower jaw with the upper portion of head. Any problem in any of these joints can lead to difficulty in moving the jaw. Hence, you may not be able to find comfort in any activity related to jaw movement.

Symptoms of TMJ disorder

A few symptoms which can indicate the presence of TMJ disorder may include:

• Pain in the jaw and tenderness
• Pain in one or both temporomandibular joints
• Earache
• Difficulty in opening and closing your mouth

Good news is that you can get rid of these symptoms with the help of your dentist.

Treatments options for TMJ

Medication

The medication for the treatment of TMJ may come with the therapeutic and surgical treatment. The medication mainly targets pain associated with the TMJ disorder.

• Over the counter drugs are not enough to contain the pain of TMJ. Therefore, the dentists usually suggest the use of something stronger. So, they prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such ibuprofen.
• Sometimes, the use of medicines which can provide stress relief can be used for reducing pain associated with TMJ disorders. So, you need to discuss with your dentist regarding the type of Tricyclic antidepressants you can use.
• TMJ pain may occur due to the stress in muscles. Therefore you can use muscle relaxant to get pain relief.

Therapeutic treatment

Sometimes, the use of drugs may not be the necessity in order to treat TMJ. In this scenario, therapeutic treatment can be quite helpful.

• Use of mouth guard can help in treating TMJ. This device supports jaws in the ideal way by keeping them in the correct position.
• Temperatures and ultrasound waves may be used to treat TMJ. This type of treatment is given along with the exercises which stretch the jaw muscles.
• Simply understanding the factors behind pain can help in reducing the pain. But you can have this understanding from a specialist who would treat pain with the help of behaviors.

Surgical treatment

Surgical option is the last option to consider when everything else fails to deliver the results. The surgical treatment may involve:

• Arthrocentesis
• Injections
• TMJ arthroscopy
• Open-joint surgery

With advancements made in the field of dentistry, it is now pretty much possible to treat the extreme cases of TMJ disorder with the help of least invasive methods. All you have to do is to visit the dentist and discuss several options in order to agree upon the one that works best for you.