TMJ Treatment

hi everyone my name is whitney and i am a dental hygienist if you're new here welcome if you've been here before welcome back let's talk about your jaw pain relief and treatment and before we jump in i'd like to quickly remind you about my website teethtalkgirl.com if you're ever looking for a specific dental topic i have a search bar where you can easily find what you're looking for and also my instagram teeth talk girl i do have another video that explains everything you need to know about your tmj what it is what causes tmj disorder and how to recognize symptoms of tmd which i will link that video in the bottom bar below if you'd like to learn more but for the purpose of this video let's talk about at-home pain relief and treatment options first let's talk about treatment options your dentist will likely recommend one or a combination of the following treatments such as orthodontic therapy if your tmj pain is because your teeth and jaws aren't aligning properly it could be time to invest in orthodontic treatment such as braces adults make great orthodontic candidates actually because they tend to go all in when it comes to following their home care instructions botox or muscle relaxers years ago prescribing muscle relaxers was common for handling tmd but with prescription medications like these you have to make lifestyle changes such as having someone else drive you to work obviously there needed to be a better option so today a lot of dentists utilize injectables like botox because it works as a natural muscle relaxer and the effects can last several months after each application and lastly splints a bite splint or mouth guard can train your tmj to rest so that the joint isn't getting overused probably the most common tmj treatment is a mouth guard specifically a night guard since tmj disorder is often due to clenching and grinding your teeth at night a night guard can help train your joints to relax lessening the strain on the muscles and providing tmj pain relief also it protects your teeth from wearing down i always recommend my patients to consider a custom fitting nightguard which is made at your dental office because when it fits right and it's more comfortable you're more likely to wear it every night the over-the-counter the ones at the store that you can buy they aren't the worst they're better than nothing to protect your teeth but often they aren't as effective in helping tmj pain because of the material they are made of if you'd like to learn more about night guards i will link my nightguard video in the bottom right below as well now in the meantime before you get to your dentist for treatment some things you can do to relieve your pain at home are rest avoid hard chewy or firm foods that require a lot of force to chew if you enjoyed a nice juicy steak last night and your tmj pain is flaring up today give it a rest stick to a soft diet until the symptoms die down and avoid chewing gum that's a serious workout for your jaw and you need to rest it gum is always the culprit of making your jaw hurt massage and physical therapy what sore joints and muscles don't feel better after a massage right you can work with a professional or get a home care sheet from your dentist to learn exercises stretches and massages that can help with tmj pain relief i actually have another video where i show the different home care exercises you can do so i'll link that one below as well warm compresses if you're experiencing a flare up use a warm compress with a 20 minutes on 20 minutes off schedule for a few hours this works for me i love this one so much it's so good it's so soothing pain relievers non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs nsaids like ibuprofen are ideal for temporary pain relief if your physician is okay with you taking them of course but don't take them for more than a day or two lastly are you someone who only has flare-ups when you're at the dentist if so it's not uncommon because right your mouth is open for so long and it's not used to that it's like holding a plank for an hour when you're used to only holding that plank for five minutes anyway if this is the case talk to your dental provider about using a bite prop or a bite block which can help you rest your jaw during a procedure also if possible take frequent breaks and massage your jaw muscles when you get the chance and after the appointment take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen again if that's cool with your physician and apply a warm or cool compress to the side of your mouth to keep any swelling down i hope this video helped you please like and subscribe if it did and if you want to learn more about tmj and night guards and clinching and grinding so much as related to jaw pain i will link everything in the bottom bar below peace love and keep [Music] you