An injury or inborn condition affecting the temporomandibular joints can result in a lot of pain, on one or both sides of your jaw. And that, in turn, can make it painful to chew or to laugh, to swallow, or even to brush your teeth or speak. At Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood TN, we can find the source of your pain and treat it.
The temporomandibular joints are where your jaw is connected to your skull. Known by the convenient shorthand TMJ, they are complex structures of tendon, muscle and bone. You may have had your jaw dislocated, you may grind your teeth as you sleep, or you may have been born with a hard and soft tissue configuration that makes you susceptible to pain. Whatever the cause, you do not have to live with it. There is effective treatment available.
Symptoms of TMJ disorder, or TMD, include:
- jaw pain
- tooth pain
- a popping sensation as the jaw opens or closes
- difficulty chewing
Sometimes exercise can help. Some patients have found relief with the following:
- Jaw Relaxation. Rest your tongue just behind your upper front teeth. Then relax your jaw muscles, allowing your upper and lower teeth to come apart.
- Tongue Up. As your tongue touches the roof of your mouth, slowly open and close your jaw.
- Side-to-Side Movement. Take a soft object that’s about a quarter inch thick, like a couple of stacked tongue depressors, and put them between your front teeth. Bite down just enough to hold them in place, and then move your jaw slowly from side to side. As it becomes easier, increase the thickness of the object.
- Forward Jaw Movement. With a soft, quarter-inch thick object as described above, hold it gently between the front teeth as you move your bottom jaw forward. Move them just enough to get them in front of the upper teeth. Once again, as it becomes easier, increase thickness.
People have also managed their pain with over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Avoiding gum and limiting large jaw movements like singing can also help.
At Poss Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood TN, we offer TMD diagnosis and effective treatment. To find out more about TMD and how we can help, contact us today.
