Jaw Joint (TMJ) Treatment

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

The Process

Initial Consultation
Our dental specialist/ dentist will find out the details of your medical and dental history, go through a consultation and examination and take a digital X-ray of your teeth to enable a thorough and detailed diagnosis. Part of the clinical examination will include checking the joints and muscles for tenderness, clicking, popping or difficulty moving.

Treatment
The type of treatment depends on the type of TMJ problem one is experiencing.

One common factor is stress. Stress increases the likelihood of bruxism (teeth grinding) and other lifestyle related conditions, which may result in TMJ problems. Bruxism can be easily treated with dental appliances such as a mouth guard.

Another factor is inflammation of the jaw joint, which results in a locked jaw. For these TMJ problems, treatment may be in the form of an injection of steroids or painkiller into the jaw joint.

In case where missing teeth or poor bite is the reason for the symptoms, then a dental rehabilitation plan using crowns, denture or dental implants may work.

Other instances, our dental specialists/ dentists may refer individuals to see a neurologist or undergo physiotherapy. The physiotherapist uses devices such as an ultrasound machine to help relax the muscles, making them less inflamed and less painful. Some head, neck and shoulder massage may also be deployed to help de-stress.

Follow Up Care
TMJ treatment typically requires more than two months. This is simply due to the fact that healing of jaw joints, the associated cartilage and muscle require time. It is known that recurrence is a not uncommon in TMJ disorders. However, if the cause was sorted out before, re-treatment is usually rather straight forward.

Individuals who have a TMJ problem or past TMJ problems should also take note of their diet. Wherever possible, food should be cut into smaller pieces before eating. Dietary supplements for the joint such as glucosamine will also strengthen the jaw joints’ cartilage and speed up the healing process. Do not chew on ice cubes and avoid excessive chewing of hard nuts.