TMJ / TMD

TMJ Headache Relief

What are TMJ and TMD? What’s the difference?

Ferndale MI TMD patient who is headache free thanks to TMJ treatment in Royal Oak.TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint. TMJ connects your lower jaw to your skull. TMD refers to temporomandibular joint disorder. If you’re having trouble with your jaw, jaw joints, and the connecting muscles, then you are experiencing TMD.

Some of the symptoms of TMD include headaches, facial discomfort, difficulty opening your mouth, locked or stuck jaw, swelling of your face and difficulty chewing. Common causes of TMD include:

  • Grinding or clenching your teeth
  • Dislocation
  • Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
  • Stress induced tightening of facial muscles

TMJ Treatment Benefits

Decreased discomfort | Headaches and swelling of the face are just a few of the symptoms. Treatment at our Royal Oak practice can help lower this discomfort.
Conservative | Most treatment options are minimally intrusive. Although there are cases where surgery is required, for the most part TMJ treatments are conservative.
Self-care | There are many options available for self-care, which puts the control right in your hands.

So, what are my treatment options?

Patient with painful headache sought TMJ treatment for his in Birmingham, MI.

  • Self-care | Utilizing ice-packs and moist heat will help bring down swelling and improve movement of the joint. Exercise is also good. There are a number of stretching exercises we can go over with you that will help manage discomfort.
  • Medicine | There are several types of medication that can help with TMD. We’ll be happy to go over which would serve you best.
    • NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
    • Muscle relaxers
    • Anti-anxiety medication
    • Antidepressants
  • Splints | Occlusal splints – or Night Guards – are fitted to your teeth and keep them from grinding together. There are different types of splints available. We can discuss which one is right for you.
  • Ultrasound | A deep heat treatment, it helps to relax your joint when it’s sore or won’t move.
  • Trigger-point injections | We inject medicine or anesthetic into the facial muscle to relieve TMD discomfort.
  • Surgery | When there is no other recourse, surgery does remain an option. However, this should only be used when all other options have been exhausted.
  • Botox for TMJ Treatment

    In some cases, BOTOX® can be used in the treatment of TMJ and other jaw tension pain. The Botox works by weakening muscles at the sight of the injection, relieving TMJ and jaw tension for many patients. The injections often eliminate headaches resulting from teeth grinding and may also be used in some cases of lockjaw.

Get Rid of Headache and Face Pain with TMJ Treatment in Royal Oak

If you have issues with TMJ pain like constant headaches or tight facial muscles, you can get exceptional TMJ care from Gustafson Morningstar Dentistry in Royal Oak MI, near Ferndale and Birmingham. Call us today for more information about our TMJ treatment options.