TMJ/TMD Pain Treatment with our Central Park South, NYC Dentists

 
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Get Help For TMJ/TMD Pain

Do you have general soreness in your jaw or clicking when you open or close your mouth? If so, you might be suffering from TMJ disorder, a painful condition that affects the joint of your jawbone.

At Beyond Dentistry NYC on Central Park South in New York City, Morgan Herman, DDS, Michael Herman, DDS, and the team have a number of solutions to alleviate your pain and get your smile back in line.

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What’s the difference between TMJ and TMD?

If you’ve experienced pain in your jaw or a clicking sensation when you open or close your mouth, you may have been told that you’re suffering from TMJ or TMD, or both. What’s the difference between these two acronyms, and which one is actually hurting your jaw?

  • TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, is the name of the hinge-like joint that connects your jawbone to the temporal bones in your skull. The complex ball-and-socket structure of your TMJ enables you to move your jaw up, down, and side to side so that you can speak, eat, and yawn with ease.

  • TMD, or temporomandibular disorder, is a condition that refers to an improper functioning or misalignment of your temporomandibular joint. TMD can cause you a great deal of pain in addition to making it difficult to eat and speak properly.

The terms are used somewhat interchangeably, but technically speaking, TMD is the condition that’s hurting the joint of your jaw, while TMJ is the name for the joint itself.

What are the signs of TMD?

Some of the indications that you might be suffering from TMD include:

  • Pain in the area of your jaw right in front of your ears when you speak, chew, or yawn

  • Soreness in your face, neck, or shoulders

  • An inability to open your mouth all the way

  • A jaw that gets stuck when you open or close it

  • Sounds of clicking or grating when you chew or open and close your mouth

  • A suddenly awkward-feeling bite, as if your upper and lower teeth aren’t fitting together properly

The effects of TMD can range from mild to severe and can last anywhere from a few days to a few years. It’s most common in people ages 20-40 and is seen more frequently in women than in men.

How is TMD treated?

TMD usually gets better by itself over time, so treatments for it tend to start conservatively. If your TMD is mild or hasn’t affected you for long, the Beyond Dentistry NYC team might recommend some home remedies, such as:

  • Adding more soft foods to your diet to give your jaw a break

  • Performing stretching exercises for your jaw and alternating ice packs and heat compresses on the joint

  • Over-the-counter NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin or ibuprofen

If your TMD doesn’t respond to at-home treatments, the Beyond Dentistry NYC team might provide you with an oral splint to prevent you from grinding your teeth and to give your jaw joints and muscles time to relax and heal. If your TMD is severe and persistent, our team might recommend more extensive treatment options, such as:

  • Trigger-point injections to relax your jaw muscles

  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to alleviate pain

  • Surgery, such as arthroscopy or open joint surgery

Find relief from your TMD today by scheduling an appointment with the dental experts at Beyond Dentistry NYC.