It’s not unusual to have an Aching Jaw occasionally, especially if you have ploughed through a chewy and tough piece of meat or have been chewing too much gum recently. However, a more persistent jawache can indicate a more serious dental problem, often due to a temporomandibular disorder.

Your lower jaw is hinged by Jaw Joints called temporomandibular joints. When working properly, they allow you to yawn, talk, laugh and eat comfortably, providing a good range of movement so your jaw can move comfortably from side to side and up and down. If these jaw joints become damaged or inflamed, it can cause a problem called temporomandibular disorder or TMD or TMJ for short.

What Can Cause TMJ?

Various factors can cause your temporomandibular joints to become strained and painful. One of the most common is teeth grinding and clenching, called bruxism in Ajax. It is often a subconscious habit that occurs during sleep but can place your jaw joints under significant pressure. Consequently, you may frequently wake up with an aching jaw, or a sleeping partner will complain about the noise of your teeth grinding.

Sometimes, the condition is due to misaligned teeth. If your teeth cannot bite together properly, the impact can be more than cosmetic. It can place your jaw joints under undue stress, and the pressure may result in some teeth becoming worn and chipped. If you take a blow to the mouth, it can cause jaw pain.

What Are the Signs of TMJ?

Other than jaw pain, TMJ can cause headaches, facial tenderness, pain that extends into your neck and shoulders and even earache. It can affect your ability to chew comfortably, and you may find it tricky to open your mouth properly. If you notice any of these signs, it’s worth making an appointment to see a dentist in Whitby.

When you visit Margolian Dentistry, our dentist will ask about your symptoms and gently examine your jaws, checking for any signs of TMJ. We can take diagnostic images to examine your jaw joints further before reaching our diagnosis. We can then formulate your custom treatment plan that will depend on the cause of the problems.

How Can TMJ Be Treated?

Sometimes, the cause of TMJ can be complex, and when this is the case, we will involve other healthcare professionals and collaborate with them closely to achieve the best treatment outcome. These may include chiropractors or physiotherapists as well as other doctors.

Other treatments that can help include having a custom-made night splint that can be useful if you have a nocturnal teeth grinding and clenching habit. It is made from tough plastic and designed to fit precisely over your teeth, preventing them from contacting while you sleep more comfortably. If bruxism has damaged your teeth, you may require restorative treatment to protect and preserve them, or it might be necessary to adjust your bite so they fit together more comfortably and in the correct alignment.

Another treatment is to have therapeutic Botox in Oshawa, which can be very effective in treating TMJ, particularly if this condition is causing clenching and grinding and chronic headaches or migraines. The treatment works by helping reduce muscle movements by blocking the nerve signals that cause them. Treatment isn’t instant; it takes around two or three weeks to see full results, but the outcome can last between six and nine months. As your muscles relax, pain is relieved, reducing tenderness and inflammation in your jaw joints. One nice thing about Botox therapy is that the frequency of treatments can decrease over time, and further treatments may not even be necessary.

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