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Temporomandibular joint disorders
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(TMJ)
Treatment
Many treatments
are available for TMJ disorders, though not all have proved beneficial.
Most health care practitioners recommend beginning with the most
conservative and noninvasive treatment.
Aside from asking
you to avoid overusing your jaw, your doctor or dentist may suggest one
or more of the following treatments:
-
Anti-inflammatory medications.
To reduce inflammation and lessen pain, your physician or dentist
may advise taking aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). For severe pain and
inflammation, corticosteroid drugs injected into the joint may
provide relief.
-
Heat or
cold.
Appling warm, moist heat or ice to the side of your face may make
you feel better.
-
Corrective
dental treatment.
Your dentist may improve your bite by balancing the biting surfaces
of your teeth, replacing missing teeth, or replacing needed fillings
or crowns.
-
Biteplate.
If your TMJ is misaligned, your dentist may recommend a plastic
biteplate (splint), worn over your teeth, to help align your upper
and lower jaws.
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Night guard
appliance.
If you grind your teeth in your sleep, a night guard appliance,
which is a soft or firm device inserted over your teeth, can help
prevent grinding and excessive wear.
-
Arthrocentesis.
This procedure involves insertion of a needle so that fluid can be
removed to clear out the joint.
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Surgery.
If the above approaches don't work, surgery to repair or remove the
disk between your mandible and temporal bone may help, but the need
for such surgery is rare.
Self-care
In addition to
medical treatments, try these self-care approaches to avoid overusing
and inflaming your temporomandibular joint and surrounding muscles:
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Eat a soft
diet of foods that you don't have to chew at all or need to chew
only minimally.
-
Don't chew
gum.
-
Avoid sticky
or chewy foods, such as caramel or tough meat.
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When yawning,
avoid opening your mouth too wide.
Temporomandibular joint disorders
-
(TMJ)
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