TMJ Treatment
TMJ Disorder is a syndrome that is caused by the malfunction of the Temporomandibular Joint, which connects our lower jaw to the temporal bone found in our skulls. Often TMJ syndrome is caused by a major trauma like a punch to the face or by wearing down of the Temporomandibular Joint due to grinding of the teeth or clenching your jaw. Once you are suffering from TMJ syndrome; the treatment can be a difficult process, depending upon the severity of the condition.
So what does treatment of TMJ Syndrome entail. For lighter cases of TMJ, the following treatment methods may be used or recommended:
- You may be prohibited from chewing gum for a prolonged period of time to reduce the pressure to your Temporomandibular Joint.
- Eating soft foods or only liquids for a while, until your Temporomandibular Joint heals.
- You may be prohibited on chewing objects such as your pencil until you can recover.(You should stop doing this altogether)
- Twice a day, you will be required to put heat compression on the required area for 30 minutes until the region softens. Heat packs can also help reduce the pain in the are caused by the TMJ.
- Ice packs are also used to reduce the swelling in the area. If you are not using heat compression for treatment, then you may be able to use ice packs three times a day to reduce the swelling and to increase the mobility of the Temporomandibular Joint.
- Relaxation therapy to reduce the tension in your jaw and in your Temporomandibular Joint.
Of course, the treatment methods described above only alleviate the swelling and the pain until your body recovers naturally. The treatment methods mentioned above, do not treat the condition directly. In severe cases of TMJ Disorder, the treatment methods described above will not be enough and then your doctor will need to use more extreme methods for treatment. These methods for dealing with extreme cases of TMJ include:
- Muscle relaxant medication designed to reduce the tension in the muscles in the surrounding area of Temporomandibular Joint.
- Using non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling and the inflammation in the area. In severe cases, corticosteroids may be used to reduce extreme swelling and the pain.
- Using techniques to align the upper teeth.
- In severe cases of TMJ Syndrome, surgery of the surrounding area can be done to relieve the pressure on the TMJ and also to align the Temporomandibular Joint properly.
- Using an occlusal splint to reduce the wear and tear on the joints.
As you can see, the treatment of TMJ can be costly in terms of time, effort and of course money. Thus it’s better to take precautions against TMJ, then to treat it.
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