TMJ Pain/Teeth Grinding

TMJ Pain/Teeth Grinding

Temporomandibular Joint or TMJ Syndrome can cause facial pain, rear pain, neck pain, headaches, or a jaw that is lodged in position or tough to open. The TMJ connects your mandible or lower jaw to your skull or temporal bone in front of the ear. There are facial muscles that control chewing and are also attached to the lower jaw.

TMJ Pain/Teeth Grinding is often caused by grinding your teeth or bruxism or clenching or tightening your jaw. Continual hammering on the joint can cause misalignment of our teeth and inflammation of the membranes around the joint.

Grinding your teeth is a habit that results in muscle spasms and inflammation that causes pan. If you are in the habit of grinding your teeth, you mostly do it during sleep. However, the grinding does cause problems that can be treated with non-invasive methods.

Botox can be used to relax the muscles in our jaw and can be highly effective. A study in 2012 found that Botox treatments decreased pain and increased mouth movements for up to three months after the treatment. Other studies have found that symptoms improved in 90 percent of participants who were injected with Botox.

Using Botox injection for TMJ Pain/Teeth Grinding is relatively safe and effective. Botox does not treat the root cause of TMJ, but injections relieve pain and discomfort. When Botox is injected into the temporals and masseter muscles, it limits the muscle’s function. This relieves the pain.

Most injections of Botox for TMJ lasts about three to four months. You can return to your normal activities immediately after your treatments. You should avoid massaging the areas where the injections were given. Sit upright for a few hours to keep the Botos from moving into other areas around the injections. If you feel stinging or discomfort, use a cold pack for comfort.

FAQ

Botox is an alternative treatment for TMJ and is commonly used as an effective treatment.

You may experience a slight headache, nausea, redness or mild swelling, or discomfort around the injection sites. The pain and discomfort will go away after a few hours.

Call your insurance company before treatment, however, most insurance policies do not cover this treatment.