TMJ Disorder & Treatment Arana Hills

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is a common type of jaw-related pain. The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ), is located near the front of your ears where the upper and lower jaws connect.

Damage can occur to the TMJ when the disc in the joint (the cushioning cartilage), slips out of position. You may not be able to open your mouth very wide without pain or clicking noises.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorders

Usually, this is the result of clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth over a long time, usually at night. Direct damage to the joint can also be caused by certain injuries or arthritis. There are a wide range of causes of TMJ disorder including arthritis, injury, a history of bruxism, genetics and more

Most people with TMJ disorder will notice some of the following symptoms:

• Restricted jaw movement or inability to fully open/close the mouth
• Headache
• Ear pain
• Pain when yawning or opening the jaw
• Toothache
• Facial, neck and shoulder pain

Suffering from any symptoms?

If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms and would like to discuss options with one of our dentists, contact us today and give as much detail as you can. A member of our team will contact you as soon as possible.

Request a cosultation

Treatment for TMJ Disorder

In most cases, TMJ disorders can be treated with non-invasive or minimally invasive methods. You may benefit from the use of anti-inflammatory medication, wearing a custom mouthguard or oral splint, participating in stress reduction therapy to reduce the impacts of teeth grinding and having muscle relaxant injections administered by your dentist.

In more complex cases, surgical treatment may be required. This will typically involve:

Arthroscopy

A 2mm incision will be made, allowing for an arthroscope to be inserted. This will allow your TMJ dentist to gain a better understanding of your TMJ disorder. Corticosteroids can also be injected to help ease temporomandibular inflammation.

TMJ Surgery

For patients with advanced TMJ disorders, open joint surgery may be required. This will typically require the dysfunctional TMJ to be removed, after which a TMJ prosthesis will be inserted.