The TMJ (temporomandibular joint) is an important part of your facial anatomy, where the skull meets the jawbone. It is a complex joint that allows the jaw to move in three dimensions: up and down, forward and back, and side to side. This complexity means that when there are problems with the TMJ, you may experience persistent pain throughout your head and face.

TMJ pain can include tender or sore jaw muscles, severe headaches, pressure behind your eyes, and even earaches. Fortunately, by treating TMJ problems, we address the source of this pain and can often lessen or eliminate it entirely.

There are many ways to treat TMJ pain. Our office typically prefers to start with the most non-invasive, simplest methods, and move to more complex methods as needed:

• Try a soft food diet. Avoid hard and crunchy foods, and cut foods into small pieces to minimize chewing. Your jaw may just need time and rest and heal, and the pain may go away on its own.
• Apply heat and/or ice packs to the TMJ. This controls swelling and helps the joint recover.
• Pain medication
• Acupuncture
• Surgery, only in the most extreme cases where there is serious damage to the joint

If you are experiencing TMJ pain that impacts your quality of life, don’t hesitate to see a dentist, like the experienced team at Wilshire Smile Studio. We can explore the many options available for relieving your pain and solving your TMJ problems.