Pain in one or both of the jaw joints, along with clicking or popping sounds and restricted movement are the main symptoms of TMD. But this disorder can also cause headaches, earaches, neck or shoulder pain, and tight muscles in the head, neck or jaw. These symptoms can be mild to severe and come and go, often with different triggers. URL https://www.suwanee-cosmetic-dentist.com/

TMD can be caused by stress, injury to the jaw or head, a bad bite, or problems with the muscles that control chewing, swallowing and speech. It can also be related to arthritis in the joint or displacement of the disk that makes up part of the jaw joint. And some people have TMD as a side effect of another painful medical condition, such as fibromyalgia or irritable bowel syndrome.

Managing TMD Pain: Effective Treatment Options

Treatment for TMD may include resting the jaw, physical therapy, self-care, medications (including NSAIDs), or an intraoral appliance or mouthguard. Some alternative treatments, such as acupuncture or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), have been studied in TMD patients but have not been proven effective.

It’s important to try all reversible remedies, like applying heat or cold or doing range-of-motion jaw exercises, before resorting to more invasive treatments. These include intraoral appliances or mouthguards, which fit over the teeth but do not change the bite, and occlusal treatments, such as bruxism splints. These can help relax the jaw muscles and reduce pain, or botulinum toxin Type A, which works by relaxing the chewing muscles.…