Millions of Americans suffer from chronic facial and neck pain as well as recurring headaches. In some cases, this pain is due to Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD.
Symptoms of TMD include:
- Pain in the jaw area
- Pain, ringing, or stuffiness in the ears
- Frequent headaches or neck aches
- Clicking or popping sound when the jaw moves
- Swelling on the sides of the face
- Muscle spasms in the jaw area
- A change in the alignment of top and bottom teeth
- Locked jaw or limited opening of the mouth
Various treatments are utilized to effectively treat TMJ pain and TMD symptoms. For the vast majority of patients, however, the TMJ problem can be treated with a specially designed nightguard that is worn over the teeth at night. It is very important to realize, though, that the guard be must be customized to the individual’s particular situation. One size fits all solutions (like nightguards available in drugstores) may not solve the problem and can even make it worse.
Depending on the severity of an individual’s TMJ problem, botox is also a highly effective treatment for muscle related TMJ pain. We can inject botox into overly tight, painful facial muscles to relax these areas, thereby alleviating the TMJ discomfort. botox also appears to decrease nighttime clenching force, which also acts to decrease daytime TMJ pain. Botox treatment normally lasts 3-4 months and is repeated as necessary.