Know your options for temporomandibular joint dysfunction treatments
What is TMJ pain?
The temporomandibular joint is the only movable joint in your facial region. It connects the skull with your lower jaw. The movement of the lower jaw is important for various functions like speaking and chewing. There are many muscles and ligaments that are present as the support structures of this joint. Any pain in the joint related to the bone, muscles, or ligaments will cause TMJ pain. It can be a sharp shooting pain or a dull pain. The pain can be triggered by various activities like opening and closing the mouth. In the information provided below, we will briefly discuss the most common treatment options- brought to you by Advanced Dental Clinic Delhi.
Causes of TMJ pain
There are various causes of TMJ pain, and the most common ones are:
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Dislocation of the joint
- Degenerative changes in the joint
- Excessive chewing of gums leads to muscular hypertrophy
- Psychological factors like stress, anxiety, and depression
Common symptoms of TMD
The most common symptoms associated with TMJ pain are :
- Pain in the jaws
- Click or pop sounds
- Difficulty while eating and speaking
- Headaches and earaches
- Neck pain and sometimes pain in the shoulders
- Difficulty in chewing the food
- Ringing sensation in ears
- A tired look on the face
- Swelling on the involved side
- A toothache may also be associated
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction treatments
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction treatments are basically classified into conservative and surgical.
Conservative management
- Application of moist heat or cold packs- cold packs work well in acute pain, whereas warm application after exercises helps better.
- Performing simple TMJ stretching exercises- there are a few easy and effective exercises that can be done at home to relieve the pain
- Eat soft food items- avoiding hard and crunchy foods can prevent the triggering of TMJ pain.
- Medications to relieve the pain- painkillers can temporarily relieve the pain, but if the pain is recurrent, you need to get a thorough dental checkup done
- Wear mouthguards in case of bruxism- wearing night guards prevents upper and lower teeth from coming in contact and also puts the jaw in a more favorable position.
- Correction of dental abnormalities triggering the pain- correcting dental conditions like missing teeth and correcting the bite using braces also help improve the symptoms of TMJ pain.
- Avoiding extreme jaw movements like yawning
Surgical management
Surgery is always kept as a last resort by our experts at Advanced Dental Clinic Delhi. Surgical procedures are incorporated when all other treatments fail to relieve the TMJ pain. The type of surgical procedure depends mainly on the cause and severity of the problem. Our team will clinically and radiologically analyze your case before formulating a customized treatment plan.
Arthrocentesis
It is also called joint aspiration. The aim is to remove the excess fluid and irrigate the joint cavity to flush out the debris and inflammatory by-products.
TMJ arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopic surgery refers to the surgical management of TMJ by using an arthroscope. It is indirectly visualizing the joint through a camera to perform the surgery. Compared with open joint surgery, arthroscopic procedures are considered safer but have a few limitations.
Open-joint surgery
It is a surgical procedure where the joint cavity is exposed to visualize the joint directly. It is always kept as the last resort when all other intervention methods have failed to alleviate the pain.