Do you experience difficulty or discomfort while biting, chewing, opening, or closing your mouth? Does your jaw or face feel tender or painful? You may also hear clicks or pops while opening or closing your mouth and suffer from earaches and headaches.

If so, you likely have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. It is prevalent, affecting about 36 million Americans, according to TMJ.org. Most (90%) are women of childbearing age.

To that end, the team at Dental Spa, our dental office in Jersey City, NJ, put together this "TMJ Pain and Treatment Options: Relief for Your Jaw and Smile" guide. You will learn TMJ disorder treatment options and jaw pain relief tips here, so please read on.

Try Cold Packs

If you feel a sharp pain in your jaw joints, consider applying a cold pack to each side of your mouth, which may help numb the pain and decrease inflammation.

To use a cold pack safely, follow these tips:

• Wrap each pack in a clean, thin towel (never place a cold pack directly on bare skin)
• Hold the toweled packs on both sides of the jaw for 10 to 15 minutes
• Avoid going beyond 20 minutes, as it can cause mild frostbite

You can repeat the steps every two hours if the pain persists.

Consider Moist Heat

If there is a dull ache in your jaw, moist heat may help by boosting blood circulation. An article published on MDPI.com explains that heat applied to the skin's surface (superficial heat therapy) encourages:

• Vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels)
• Blood flow
• Pain relief

Here are the steps to use moist heat for your TMJ pain:

• Soak two washcloths in warm water
• Wring and place one washcloth on each side of your jaw
• Keep the washcloths on your face for a few minutes or until they become cool
• Repeat the steps until you have had about 20 minutes of treatment time

Be careful not to burn or scald yourself when using this home remedy. As the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) explains, a five-minute exposure to water heated at 120 degrees can be enough to cause third-degree burns.

Mind Your Food

Whenever you experience TMJ pain, consider switching to a soft or blended-food diet. Minimizing your mouth's movements while getting enough healthy nutrients can help your jaws and facial muscles relax and ease discomfort.

Some examples of nutritious foods and beverages to try when you feel pain from your TMJ disorder are: 

• Soups with small, soft vegetables 
• Pasta with chopped veggies and ground meat or shredded chicken or fish
• Yogurt with fruits cut into small pieces 

When you eat, avoid taking big bites. Chop your food into smaller portions to prevent stress and strain on your jaw. 

Engage in TMJ Exercises for Pain Prevention

When you have active pain or discomfort from a TMJ disorder, it is usually best to avoid exercising your mouth. However, once the pain has subsided, you can try TMJ-strengthening exercises. Strengthening your jaw may help prevent the pain from returning or reduce its intensity.

Resisted Opening Exercise

With this exercise, you will attempt to open your mouth while applying gentle pressure to create resistance. Here are the steps to perform it:

• Place a thumb under your chin
• Slowly open your mouth
• Push your thumb upward to resist the movement
• Keep the mouth open for a few seconds with the thumb still pushing against it
• Slowly close your mouth
• Repeat several times

Resisted opening exercises aim to strengthen the muscles responsible for opening your jaw.

Resisted Closing Exercise

Resisted closing exercises are similar to resisted opening exercises but target the muscles responsible for closing the jaw. To perform these strengthening exercises, follow these steps:

• Slightly open your mouth 
• Place a thumb under the chin
• Put the index finger of the same hand between the lower lip and the chin
• Slowly close your mouth while gently pushing down on the chin
• Keep the mouth closed in this position for a few seconds

You can repeat the exercise several times, but please stop when you experience discomfort or pain.

Visit a TMJ Specialist

If you continue to experience facial or jaw pain after trying the above remedies, it is time to consider visiting your Jersey City dentist specializing in TMJ pain and disorders. Here is what your TMJ specialist can do to help with your oral and jaw health improvement.

Comprehensive Assessment

Facial pain similar to TMJ pain can result from many other conditions, such as an abscessed tooth, specifically a molar. An abscessed tooth happens when a bacterial infection fills the affected tooth or gums with pus. It can be painful, especially when biting or chewing, which is why some people may confuse it with TMJ disorders.

Therefore, your dentist must thoroughly assess your teeth, gums, and jaw to diagnose your condition correctly. If you have an abscessed tooth, they will recommend undergoing root canal treatment to save it. However, if they determine that you have a TMJ disorder, they will create a personalized treatment plan based on the cause of your condition and its symptoms.

Splints

Splints, also called "mouth guards" or "bite guards," are some of the most common treatments for TMJ disorders. People also use them when they experience TMJ and sleep conditions like:

• Snoring
• Sleep apnea
• Bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching)

Splints may help with TMJ pain by stabilizing the jaw joints and reducing pressure on the surrounding tissues and muscles. They also prevent the upper back teeth from touching the lower back teeth, minimizing clenching and grinding. You may only have to wear splints at night or as instructed by your TMJ specialist. 

TMJ Pain and Treatment Options: Relief for Your Jaw and Smile

In this "TMJ Pain and Treatment Options: Relief for Your Jaw and Smile" guide, you learned that some remedies you can try are cold packs, moist heat, soft food diet, and TMJ exercises. They may help ease discomfort, but if not, it is time to visit a TMJ dentist.

Our TMJ specialist, Dr. Daniel Suh, awaits you at the Dental Spa in Jersey City, NJ. Dr. Suh has been a licensed dentist in NJ and NY since 1998 and a Diplomate of Dental Sleep Medicine and TMJ since 2014. He has received numerous accolades, with the National Consumer Advisory Council voting him as America's Best Dentist in 2013 and 2020.



Reach out today to schedule your consultation!