Black woman suffering tmj and complaining in a restaurant terrace

TMJ Disorders: Understanding and Managing Jaw Pain

TMJ disorders can cause significant pain. Fortunately, you can manage jaw pain and other symptoms of TMJ disorders at home. Your family dentist in North Lafayette can also help treat TMJ disorders.

What is a TMJ?

TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint. You have two TMJs on each side of your skull just in front of each ear. The TMJs connect your jaw to your skull and do the vital work of moving your jaw when you eat or talk.

The joint consists of your jawbone, muscles that move the jawbone, and ligaments that prevent bones from grinding together as they move.

TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders are a group of conditions affecting the jaw joints, the muscles that move the jaw, and the ligaments.

While TMJ disorders can cause various symptoms, jaw pain is joint. Facial pain, shoulder pain, headaches, toothaches, and earaches may also occur.

Causes of TMJ disorders

Certain factors can make TMJ disorders more likely to develop. These factors include

  • A jaw injury, such as a dislocated or broken jaw
  • Clenching or grinding your teeth, also known as bruxism
  • Arthritis in the TMJ
  • Malocclusion, which is when your teeth don’t fit together right when you bite down
  • Stress

TMJ pain usually doesn’t develop because you experienced just one of these factors – TMJ disorders often develop as the result of a combination of factors. You may have had a jaw injury in the past, for example, but only have TMJ pain when you are under a lot of stress.

Triggers of jaw pain associated with TMJ disorders

Some things can make pain and other TMJ symptoms worse. These habits include:

  • Using your teeth as tools, such as tearing off plastic clothing tags
  • Chewing on ice, pens, pencils, and other complex objects
  • Chewing gum too often
  • Daytime bruxism
  • Taking big bites of food, which can require more chewing, overworks your jaw muscles
  • Poor posture, especially slouching or tipping your head forward to use a phone, can cause misalignment of the bones in your spine and jaw
  • Sleeping on your stomach; this position puts pressure on your TMJ, increases your risk of bruxism, and causes spinal misalignment during sleep

Managing Jaw Pain at Home

You may be able to treat jaw pain from a TMJ disorder with home care. While surgery and other advanced treatments are available, home care or the care of a dentist is usually enough to manage jaw pain.

Address the cause of your TMJ disorder

You can pinpoint and address some of the risk factors and triggers for your TMJ disorder and jaw pain. You can even manage jaw pain at home. For example, you can reduce stress by exercising regularly, stretching your muscles before bed, playing soothing music, and avoiding/managing stressful situations. You can also assess your posture while using your phone or lying in bed.

Eat soft foods that do not require much chewing

When your TMJ disorder flares, focus on foods that are easy to chew. Opt for soft foods, such as:

  • Yogurt
  • Ripe melons, other soft fruits, and canned fruit
  • Applesauce
  • Cottage cheese
  • Clear or cream soup
  • Mashed potatoes

Avoid eating chewy foods, such as:

  • Tough or whole meats
  • Bagels and crusty breads
  • Carrots, apples, and other crunchy fruits and vegetables
  • Caramel, gummy candies, taffy, and other chewy sweets

Take over the counter pain medicine

Your dentist can recommend the best non-prescription pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Family Dentist in North Lafayette Offers Treatment for TMJ Disorders and Jaw Pain

Your North Lafayette family dentist offers several treatments to help prevent TMJ and jaw pain. These treatments include mouthguards that help reduce the effects of clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth. Your dentist can create a custom-fit mouthguard that is comfortable and effective.

Your family dentist in North Lafayette can also address other dental problems that could be causing your TMJ disorder. For example, you may benefit from wearing clear aligners to straighten your teeth. In some cases, your dentist may prescribe medications that help relax the muscles of the TMJ.

For more information about TMJ disorders and ways to manage jaw pain associated with them, consult with Herbert Family Dentistry. Our North Lafayette dentist offers various treatments that help ease jaw pain and other symptoms of TMJ disorders. If you or someone you know has a TMJ disorder that causes jaw pain, contact Herbert Family Dentistry.