A person with his hand on his cheek.

It’s estimated that more than 10 million Americans experience pain or discomfort with the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. The condition is often referred to as “TMJ disorder,” and the symptoms are often characterized by jaw and facial pain, earaches, headaches, neck pain, a clicking or popping sound when the mouth opens/closes and a locking of the jaw.

One of the questions that we get asked often when it comes to TMJ disorder and pain is whether it is reversible. Unfortunately, the best answer we can offer is “it depends” – and that’s largely due to the nature of what causes TMJ issues. Here’s a closer look:

About TMJ Disorder & Treatments

In many cases, TMJ issues do not require aggressive treatments. In fact, in some situations, TMJ pain may just go away on its own with a little bit of rest and relaxation. In other cases, however, reducing or eliminating pain or discomfort may take some additional steps. Most of these are convenient and may include:

  • Pain medication: Taking over-the-counter pain medication can help manage pain or discomfort.
  • Icing the jaw: This can help reduce swelling and inflammation.
  • Stretching and massage: Talk with your doctor to see if a TMJ massage might be a good idea. Often, a massage therapist can help you identify ways to stretch and treat the affected area so that it feels better. What’s more is that after an initial appointment with the therapist, you can often administer the massaging and stretching on your own. The big benefit of this is that it can help to increase jaw movement and range of motion.
  • Other self-care tactics: Eating soft foods, limiting the use of the jaw and learning techniques to reduce stress and anxiety can also help minimize pain and discomfort.

More dire situations of TMJ disorder are where these so-called “reversible” measures may be necessary. We should note that before moving on to these types of treatments, patients should first be certain that they’ve tried – and exhausted – the methods of treatment to manage pain. That’s because what causes TMJ damage is largely unknown, so there might not be an overwhelming guarantee that the below treatments will be effective. Treatments include:

  • Orthodontics: In some cases, TMJ disorder has been linked to issues of a misaligned bite or of misaligned teeth. If that’s the cause of the problem, reversing the issue with orthodontics helps to eliminate it.
  • Surgery: While surgery is often thought of as a last-ditch resort when it comes to TMJ disorder, it can eliminate pain and discomfort altogether. Surgery may involve replacing the jaw joints, altering the shape of the jawbone or some other invasive means of correcting the jaw’s function.

Contact A TMJ Specialist

If you’re concerned about TMJ disorder and how to manage the pain and discomfort that often comes with it, speak to a specialist who can help by contacting Kanehl Dental today for a consultation. Dr. Kanehl specializes in the treatment of TMJ disorder with advanced dental techniques.