Treatment Options for TMJ in Utah

Do you frequently have crippling headaches, neck pain, and jaw pain with clicking? The small temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which controls how the mouth opens and closes, may be the source of all your issues.

The most commonly utilized and most complex joint in the body, the TMJ, is not given enough recognition. Smooth jaw motions without effort or pain are provided by a functioning TMJ, although things can occasionally go awry. Only 25% of people seek treatment for their TMJ problems, despite the fact that untreated TMJ symptoms can develop into chronic TMJ illnesses.

You use your face every day without giving them much thought, whether you're smiling, laughing, chatting, or chewing. However, if you suffer from temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), even those basic movements could be excruciatingly painful for you.

"While most TMD symptoms go away in a few weeks to months, some painful problems can be made worse by specific bad habits or behaviors that put undue strain on the jaw and neck muscles, fortunately, there are steps you may take from the comfort of your home to assist manage and treat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain.

Diagnosis for TMJ in Utah

When you come into The Center for Sleep Apnea and TMJ in Utah, your TMJ symptoms will be discussed, and our doctor will look at your jaw. They are likely to:

  • When you open and close your mouth, pay attention to and feel your jaw.

  • Check your jaw's range of motion.

  • In order to locate any regions of pain or discomfort, press on the area around your jaw.

  • X-rays are taken by our dentist to inspect your teeth and jaw a CT scan is to produce comprehensive pictures of the bones that make up the joint an MRI is to detect issues with the joint's disk or the soft tissue around it

After a thorough exam has been completed, we can suggest ways how to fix TMJ at home. Nonsurgical treatments can be used to treat TMJ pain in minor situations. Some of these remedies for TMJ disorder are so simple you’ll be shocked. We have old and new TMJ treatments.

Keep Your Jaw in Its Resting Posture

Reduce wide jaw motions like chewing, yawning, singing, and yelling for treatment for TMJ jaw pain. Try your best to maintain the most relaxed state of your muscles.

Ensure Proper Posture

Long periods of time spent sitting in an uncomfortable position can make your jaw pain worse.

To enhance your posture while working, select a chair with back support and take frequent rests. When driving, adjust your seat so that it is as upright as possible; when engaging in leisure activities like reading or watching TV, select a location that enables you to sit upright; add a pillow behind your back for support. This can be an effective treatment for TMJ disorder.

Sleep Well at Night

For many facets of healthy health, sleep is crucial. Sleep on your back with your neck supported by cushions to help reduce TMJ pain. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, and if you must, avoid putting your hand on your jaw while on your side.

Apply a Compress—Hot or Cold

Heat and ice both help to relieve discomfort and swelling, while heat also helps to relax your jaw muscles. Put a thin layer of skin between the compress and the hot or cold compress you're using to treat your jaw and apply it for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

Lessen Stress

To assist in relaxing and loosening up your jaw, try these meditation practices. Gardening is a terrific pastime to try to calm your thoughts and relax your face, and yoga exercises can also assist in reducing the strain on your muscles.

Exercise Your Jaw

Your joints will move more freely if you do jaw exercises. Three different jaw exercises that can be combined to reduce pain include:

  • Stretching activities

  • Exercises that build muscle

  • Exercises for relaxation

Observe Your Negative Habits

A couple of your inclinations could be the source of your TMD pain. These practices include:

  • Nail biting

  • Chewing lips and cheeks

  • Putting your hand over your jaw

  • You clench your teeth.

  • Bruxism of the teeth

  • Rigid jaw muscles, the tongue is pressed against the teeth

  • Make a note of your everyday routines and write them down for your doctor to review. Remember how frequently you perform them.

Avoid Certain Activities and Foods

You may forcibly open your mouth or move your jaw a lot when doing certain things or eating certain meals. Try to stay away from the following as TMJ disorder treatments.

  • Yawning or shouting

  • Foods that are brittle or tough

  • Taking a large mouthful of food

  • Foods that demand thorough chewing

  • Chewing gum

If you have attempted all of these suggested TMJ treatment options, then you will need to come back in for chronic TMJ treatment. Our TMJ treatment in Salt Lake City can help you live a pain-free normal life again.

At CSAT Taylorsville - The Center for Sleep Apnea and TMJ, we have several solutions for TMJ in Utah. Sometimes TMJ dysfunction symptoms may go away on their own without medical intervention. If your symptoms don't go away, our doctor might suggest a number of treatments, frequently more than one to be carried out concurrently.

Medications

These pharmacological choices, in addition to other nonsurgical remedies, might aid in reducing the discomfort brought on by TMJ disorders:

Anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers. Your doctor or dentist may recommend stronger painkillers, such as ibuprofen with prescription strength, for a brief period of time if over-the-counter painkillers are ineffective in treating your TMJ symptoms.

Antidepressants that are tricyclic. These drugs, like amitriptyline, are mostly used to treat depression, but they are also occasionally used in low doses to treat pain, bruxism, and insomnia.

Relaxation drugs for the muscles. For a few days or weeks, these medications are occasionally used to treat discomfort brought on by TMJ issues brought on by muscle spasms.

Therapies

Drug-free treatments for TMJ issues include:

Mouthguards or oral braces (occlusal appliances). It is common for persons with jaw pain to experience relief by wearing a hard or soft device that is put over their teeth, but it is unclear why this is the case.

Physical exercise. Treatments may also involve ultrasound, moist heat, and ice in addition to jaw-muscle stretching and strengthening exercises.

Counseling. You can avoid the situations and actions that may make your pain worse by understanding them with the aid of education and counseling. Examples include biting your fingernails, clenching or grinding your teeth, and leaning on your chin.

TMJ Surgery

TMJ surgery is a drastic and last-ditch option. TMJ components can be replaced or removed, and in some situations, they can be shifted around or fixed. General anesthesia is used for jaw procedures, which have a lengthier recovery period.

Surgery on the jaw carries a number of serious dangers, including the possibility that the artificial joints will be rejected by your body, scarring, and loss of jaw movement. Consider safer, more affordable, and non-invasive solutions first. Dr. Bob and Dr. Monika, family dentists, offer frequent consultations regarding the most efficient, non-invasive treatments for TMJ disorders. If a doctor does advise surgery, make sure to always get a second opinion.

TMJ problems frequently go away on their own, but you should still seek the advice of a dentist who is familiar with the condition. Our dentist will suggest the best TMJ Therapy in Utah. They can offer you the greatest guidance to get rid of your problems in the quickest, safest, most affordable, and most efficient manner possible.

While more conservative techniques like bite guards and bite contouring can be an easy and quick solution to relieve your chronic pain problems, serious situations may require surgery, injections, or other procedures. Again don’t hesitate to come in for TMJ Treatment Utah.