1. Dental Health: Beautiful Teeth for Life

337. Treating TMJ

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome occurs when the muscles, joints, and ligaments of the jaw move out of alignment. Resulting symptoms include earaches, headaches, pain in the jaw area radiating to the face or the neck and shoulders, ringing in the ears, or pain when opening and closing the mouth. Symptoms of TMJ frequently mimic other conditions, so the problem is often misdiagnosed.

TMJ has a number of possible causes.

1. •Bruxism (clenching or grinding your teeth).
   

2. •Poor posture or sleeping in a way that misaligns the jaw or creates tension in your neck.
   

3. •Stress in your life, when it results in muscle tension in your neck and shoulder.
   

4. •Incorrect or uneven bite.
   

5. •Injury to the jaw.
   

If you think you may have TMJ, see your dentist. TMJ may or may not require professional treatment. Many dentists specialize in this diagnosis and treatment. Early intervention may reduce the time needed for treatment and make surgery unnecessary.

If you have TMJ, you may be able to minimize symptoms in the following ways.

1. •Don’t chew gum.
   

2. •Try not to open your jaw wide (including yawning or taking big bites out of triple-decker or submarine sandwiches or other difficult-to-eat foods).
   

3. •Massage the jaw area several times a day, first with your mouth open, then with your mouth closed.
   

4. •To help reduce muscle spasms that can cause pain, apply moist heat to the jaw area. (A washcloth soaked in warm water makes a convenient hot compress.)
   

5. •If stress is a factor, consider biofeedback and relaxation training. (See chapter 6, Success over Stress.)