Temporomandibular Joint Disorder commonly known as TMD or
TMJ is a very common issue in our population.
Most often it manifests itself as a “click” or a “pop” coming from the
joint that is located in front of the ear.
It can also present as simply a pain from the joint, a locking of the
mouth in the open or closed position or a “grinding” or “sandpaper” sound that
comes from that region of your head.
Often times TMJ doesn’t really hurt, it is more annoying than anything
else. However, there are instances where
the TMJ region can flare up and cause extreme discomfort. Often these are in times of stress or fatigue
in your life. And interestingly we see
it often in people who seem very happy, well adjusted and calm on the outside and
internalize all their stress. Individuals such as these tend to clench and/or
grind during their sleep which exacerbates their TMJ condition. It can be very painful and even debilitating.
We strongly advise those whom are experiencing TMJ systems
to not do anything invasive for treatment.
“Invasive” treatment would include any surgical options or any dental
options that would include drilling, restoring or orthodontic options meant to
permanently change your bite. Treatments
such as these can be incredibly expensive and are of limited to no value for permanent
relief of the symptoms. Furthermore, we do not recommend any chiropractic
“adjustments” of the TMJ area as this will cause internal damage to the joint
area. In many of these “treatments”, the TMJ symptoms actually become worse
leading to more pain and will limit how wide you can open your mouth (Range of
Motion).
Last year, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research, a department of NIH, released a
comprehensive study and paper
reviewing symptoms and current treatments for TMD. Their conclusions?
Less is more.
Their recommendations for treatment includes moist heat and
cold packs, massage, trigger point therapy and TMJ mouth guards. These recommendations are consistent with
what we have been
recommending to our patients for years and have found to be
highly effective in eventually relieving the pain our patients experience. In rare cases of severe TMJ damage, we will
guide our patients to UCLA or USC’s pain management clinic both of who are well
equipped to handle difficult cases armed with the latest research and
equipment.
We encourage you to see a dental professional to assess
which of these non-invasive treatments are appropriate for your specific
situation. And if you can not get to a professional
immediately, constant rotation of moist heat and cold packs in combination with
a pain reliever such as ibuprofen seems to help considerably. You can try
over-the-counter mouth guards but if you notice an increase of pain, stop using
it immediately and get a custom night guard from your dentist.
Remember, the rule with TMJ treatments is “Less is More.”
