Temporomandibular Jaw Disorder

Are you experiencing any of these symptoms or problems associated with your jaw?

• Clicking, cracking, or popping when you open or close your mouth
• Feeling as if your jaw is locking and unstable
• Stiffness and tightness in the jaw muscles
• A change in the way your teeth fit together when your mouth is closed
• Inability to open your mouth fully
• Pain in the jaw when you talk, yawn, or chew

If so, you may have what is called Temporomandibular Jaw Disorder (TMD). The term TMD is most commonly used to describe these problems, as the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is the hinge that allows you to open and close your mouth. TMD problems are orthopedic in nature and therefore involve the muscles, tendon, ligaments and bones that play a critical role in all jaw function.

In fact every time you open your mouth to talk, eat, smile or express yourself, you’re using these structures. When something goes wrong with the joints or muscles, not only will you be limited in your eating but pain can become overwhelming and make your life miserable.

H2: Treatment of Jaw Dysfunction in Long Island and NYC

Once it has been determined that you have a jaw dysfunction and the cause has been discovered, a number of common treatments most often lead to great benefit.

Though treatment can totally get rid of your pain and restore jaw motion and full eating capacity, there are times when residual problems and symptoms remain. This is not unlike any other joint system that may be helped immensely with treatment but not fully eradicated. At times pain and motion problems resolve fully but joint noises remain.

Making a careful diagnosis is therefore a very import part of the evaluation process. I start with a conversation and then proceed to examine the face, jaw and neck to discover where the troubles lie. With a diagnosis established, treatment options are reviewed. These include:

• Education
• Dietary modification
• Medication (oral, inject able, topical)
• Self-regulation training (changing learned behaviors)
• Exercises
• Oral appliances to address Bruxism and clenching or to help stabilize the TM Joint
• Muscle trigger point injections
• Steroid injections into tendons and the TMJ’s
• Botox injections into the jaw muscles
• Adjustment of the biting surfaces of the teeth or alteration of tooth positions
• Physical therapy and/or massage
• Biofeedback training
• Cognitive behavioral strategies
• Counseling to address life circumstances and emotions
• Surgical intervention (Arthrocentesis, Arthroscopic surgery, Arthroplasty)

As a result of these treatments the vast majority of my patients do exceedingly well and after a few months are discharged from care. There are always a handful of patients that struggle to get better, but my practice is dedicated to making whatever efforts are needed to get my patients on the road to recovery.

Click for more about: TMJ, Teeth Clenching, Teeth Grinding, Oral Appliances, Bruxism, Botox treatments in NYC and Long Island