TMJ TREATMENT AURORA
Relief from Chronic Jaw Pain
Maybe you’ve noticed that your jaw hurts all the time and you’re not sure why, or perhaps you’ve seen that your front teeth are looking a lot shorter than they used to be; you might even hear a strange ringing in your ears from time to time. All of these could be a sign of a problem with your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) that, if left untreated, could get worse and worse over time. At Mauck & Ricci, DDS, we offer effective TMJ therapy in Aurora that will put you on the path to living a pain-free life again. If you think you’re suffering from a TMJ disorder, contact our practice as soon as possible; it all starts with a thorough examination and a personalized treatment plan!
What is a TMJ Disorder?
Your TMJ is what connects your lower jaw to the rest of your head; it lets you open and close your mouth for tasks such as eating, speaking, and singing. A TMJ disorder is where there’s an issue that’s causing pain in the joint or in the muscles around it. In many cases, it can be hard to determine the exact cause of a TMJ disorder; in fact, it can be due to a number of different factors.
TMJ disorders are not life-threatening, but the pain could get worse as time goes on; you might also suffer from a locked jaw. Over time, living in constant pain can start to affect the quality of your life. Some patients are even at a higher risk of depression. If you think you have a TMJ disorder, it’s best to have it treated sooner, not later!
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
You should call your dentist in Aurora if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Painful, tender jaws
- Pain that occurs whenever you chew your food
- Headaches
- Locked joint making it hard to open and close your mouth
- Teeth that are worn down as a result of grinding and clenching
- Earaches or tinnitus (ringing in your ear)
- Clicking sound in the jaw
Note that not all of these symptoms will necessarily manifest at once.
Risk Factors of TMJ Disorder
A TMJ disorder can develop for multiple reasons, including:
- Stress-Related Habits: If you clench your jaw, bite your lip or fingernails, grind your teeth at night or chew gum for a long time, you could be putting a lot of undue stress on your TMJ.
- Health Problems: Misaligned teeth or jaw, facial deformities, arthritis and physical injuries make TMJ disorders more likely to develop.
- Age: TMJ disorder symptoms usually occur between the ages of 20 and 40.
- Gender: Women are somewhat more likely to have a TMJ disorder than men.
Oral Appliance Therapy
In many cases, a simple oral appliance can go a long way towards relieving TMJ pain. Much of the time, you’ll receive a stabilization splint, which is also called a bite guard. The splint prevents the teeth from touching each other and keeps them in a comfortable position where they’ll do the least amount of harm. There are other kinds of oral appliances you can get as well depending on your case.
BOTOX® for TMJ Disorder
While BOTOX® is best known for its ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face, it has been used as a reliable pain reliever for decades. Our dentists can inject it into overworked and strained jaw muscles to provide fast, short-term relief from facial pain and headaches. This can also help reduce unconscious clenching and grinding while you sleep. This approach allows a patient to be comfortable while our team provides a long-term solution that addresses the root cause of their TMJ issue.
What is BOTOX®?
BOTOX is the brand-name for a diluted substance called botulinum toxin. Although most people are familiar with the aesthetic benefits of BOTOX, few are aware that it can also help minimize pain caused by TMJ disorder. BOTOX is injected into select muscles, allowing for sustained pain-relief for between three and four months at a time.
Are You a Good Candidate for BOTOX® for TMJ Treatment?
If you simply haven’t been able to find relief from TMJ disorder, you may be interested in an intervention like BOTOX. Overactive and stressed muscles that surround the joints and help move your jaw could be the cause of migraines and tension headaches, or even lockjaw. We typically recommend BOTOX treatment for TMJ disorder in Aurora for patients who experience:
- Pain or difficulty while chewing
- Tenderness in the jaw
- Limited mouth movement
- Lockjaw
- Clipping or popping jaw joints whenever you open or close your mouth
- Pain in the shoulders/upper back area and neck
- Earaches or ringing in the ear
How Can BOTOX® Treat TMJ Disorder?
When BOTOX is injected into strained muscles affected by TMJ disorder, like overworked and tension-filled muscles that help you open and close your mouth, it acts to relax them. As a result, patients are able to find much-needed relief. Some patients may even notice less severe consequences of their TMJD, such as reduced intensity of teeth grinding and fewer headaches.
TMJ Treatment FAQs
Can TMJ be cured permanently?
If you’re suffering from jaw pain in Aurora that’s related to a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, this discomfort can sometimes lessen with time. However, if your symptoms have begun to negatively impact your daily life, it’s important to see your dentist for treatment.
Some TMJ therapy methods including BOTOX can provide only temporary relief and typically need to be redone when they wear off.
Oral appliance therapy is specifically designed to permanently correct the misalignment and jaw pain associated with temporomandibular joint disorders. Your dentist can discuss which treatment option is best for your specific issues at your TMJ therapy consultation.
Is BOTOX for TMJ safe?
Although most people have only heard of it for use in treating fine lines and wrinkles, BOTOX can also be used to treat the stiffness and jaw pain in Aurora associated with TMJ disorders.
BOTOX is short for “botulinum toxin,” which can sometimes scare patients away because it is technically a toxin made by bacteria. However, in small doses injected by a highly skilled and expertly trained provider, it is extremely safe, and especially effective at treating TMJ disorders.
As with any injectable, there are some possible risks of side effects with BOTOX, although these are typically quite minor and temporary. They include:
- Tenderness, redness, and bruising local to the injection site(s).
- Headaches that typically go away within 24 – 48 hours after treatment and can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen.
- Mild digestive issues such as nausea.
- Respiratory infections or flulike symptoms including fever and body aches.
- Temporary facial changes to untreated areas such as drooping of the eyelids.
Thankfully the odds of developing these side effects are very low. In fact, in most cases, patients consider them well worth the risk thanks to the incredible relief provided by this treatment!
How long does it take for BOTOX to work for TMJ?
In most cases, it takes just a few days for BOTOX for TMJ treatment to take full effect. You may experience some minor bruising at the injection site(s), but this typically clears up within about 48 hours.
Relief from BOTOX for TMJ disorders typically lasts from three to six months; however, it could potentially last much longer depending on a variety of factors including your genetics and the severity of your condition.
In some cases, your dentist may choose to provide at least three BOTOX injections spaced out over several weeks, as this can be more effective and help your results last a bit longer.
Should your BOTOX treatment fail to yield noticeable results, you can discuss other TMJ disorder treatment options with your dentist, such as oral appliance therapy.
Can TMJ be treated without surgery?
Yes, it can! Because surgery requires permanent changes to your jaw, the National Institutes of Health recommends it only as a last resort.
Thankfully, in many cases treating TMJ disorder can be done with far less invasive options, including BOTOX and oral appliance therapy. You can also try things like meditation or stress relief techniques, dietary changes, and even physical therapy to help relieve your jaw pain and other related symptoms.