Options for TMJ Pain Relief
There are tons of muscles in the mouth and the jaw that make chewing, talking and existing possible. These muscles, like any muscles in the body, can become tense, inflamed, and painful. The temporomandibular joint in the jaw is a sliding hinge that allows your jaw to open and close, and it can become very painful. For those looking for TMJ pain relief options Middletown, Titus Dentistry can help.
What is TMJ Pain?
The TMJ joint in the jaw is an important muscle and joint. It helps your jaw to hinge so that you can do things like eat, chew and talk. When this joint is inflamed or sore it can cause a range of different problems. It can cause difficulty eating, talking, headache, neckache and so much more. When you are experiencing this type of pain it can be hard to deal with and it can cause a huge range of other issues.
TMJ Pain Treatment Options
- Mouth guard
- Dental splint
- Bite plates
- Pain medication
This type of disorder is often caused by holding tension in the jaw. It can be caused by grinding the teeth in your sleep, clenching your jaw and being tense in the area. Your dentist can do a few things to help prevent this tension and to help reduce your pain overall. A mouthguard is a great place to start. It can help reduce teeth grinding while you sleep, it can keep your jaw in a more relaxed position, and it can help to ease the tension you are holding in your jaw.
A dental splint does much the same thing as do bite plates. These help to reduce the overall tension and help keep the jaw in a fixed, less tense, and less clenched position. They also help to protect the teeth that can very easily become damaged if you continue to clench your teeth and grind them in your sleep. This type of treatment is great if you want to avoid surgery. Your dentist also can prescribe pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication as they see fit to help make your pain more bearable. Facial massage, icing and even heat in the area have also been known to help.
For those in the Middletown IN area, Dr. Johnathan Titus with Titus Dentistry can help you alleviate your TMJ pain, call (765) 358-5868 to make an appointment today.
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