What Is TMJ?

TMJ is a disorder affecting the temporomandibular joint, which connects the jawbone to the skull. Each side of your jaw has one of these joints. TMJ disorders not only impact these joints, but also the muscles that control jaw movement. 

These complex joints function as sliding hinges, which allow you to talk, chew, and yawn. When someone develops a TMJ disorder, even simple daily activities like eating or speaking can become painful or difficult.

Disorders involving the temporomandibular joint can have a variety of causes, including:

• Teeth clenching 
• Gum chewing
• Stress, PTSD, or depression
• Jaw injury
• Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
• Fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, and sleep disorders
• An unbalanced bite

TMJ disorders may cause the presence of several symptoms, usually involving pain in the jaw, face, neck, eyes, and/or teeth. Headaches are also common for people with TMJ. Additionally, sufferers of TMJ may experience difficulty opening and closing their mouth or hear a clicking sound when chewing or stretching their jaw. In some cases, untreated TMJ symptoms may worsen over time. 

It’s important to get treatment for the sake of your quality of life and overall well-being.

If you’re suffering from TMJ-related pain, there’s relief in sight! Your dentist will do an evaluation of your symptoms and create a personalized treatment plan based on your overall health, medical history, symptoms, and age, while taking into account your preference. 

At North Tampa Dentistry, we offer several types of TMJ treatment. Our goal is to relieve your pain and get you back to living your best life. Here are some of the treatment options we offer.

Occlusal Guard Therapy

Occlusal guards are mouthguards. They are typically worn at night to prevent or reduce teeth grinding. Mouthguards can also lower tension in the jaw and decrease muscle activity, lessening the degree of harm caused by teeth grinding and TMJ disorders.

BOTOX® Injections

Did you know that BOTOX does more than smooth wrinkles? BOTOX is a neurotoxin, created by a bacterium, that occurs naturally in soil and spoiled foods. Healthcare providers are able to produce BOTOX type A in labs for safe medical use.

For TMJ treatment purposes, the toxin works by blocking nerves in the muscles at the place where it’s injected. This reduces their contractions and makes them less prone to clenching. So, BOTOX can be used to keep your jaw muscles from clenching and causing you pain.

EmFace Technology

Finally, there’s a new treatment option, EmFace. This is a synchronized radiofrequency and facial electrical stimulation technology used for non-invasive facial rejuvenation. It’s now FDA-cleared for use as a TMJ disorder treatment. With EmFace, we can gently heat the dermis and stimulate your facial muscles to help with pain relief. The recent FDA clearance allows EmFace to be used for:

• Relieving muscle spasm symptoms
• Lessening pain
• Muscle re-education
• Better local blood flow
• Maintenance or progression of the mandibular range of motion
• Reducing TMJ dysfunction