TMJ Treatments We Do

Do you have trouble eating? Does your jaw hurt? TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint which is the jaw joint in front of ear. Common symptoms of TMJ disorders include jaw or face pain, headaches, jaw sounds, jaw locking, trouble opening the mouth, ear pain, ear stuffiness, etc. The mechanism behind the problem could be related to muscles or joints or teeth grinding or a medical illness. Pain sometimes presents as only ear pain, a toothache or a headache. While it is very important to rule out an ear pathology, a dental pathology or a neurologic issue, in absence of clear signs of pathology, an aggressive treatment (root canal or surgery) should be avoided. TMJ clicking occurs in about 30% of adults (much more common in children) and majority of the times, it is benign and does not lead to any issues. TMJ locking on the other hand can start as clicking and almost always needs to be treated.

Reference: Iodice G, Cimino R, Vollaro S, Lobbezoo F, Michelotti A. Prevalence of temporomandibular disorder pain, jaw noises and oral behaviours in an adult Italian population sample. J Oral Rehabil. 2019 Aug;46(8):691-698. doi: 10.1111/joor.12803. Epub 2019 May 7. PMID: 30993737. Pubmed

TMJ disorders after accident

After a motor vehicle accident or a fall or even a minor blow, TMJ pain, jaw locking, headaches, ear pain and neck pain can occur either right away or even after a few months.