The facial joint that moves your jaw up and down and from side-to-side is what is referred to the temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD (also known as TMJ). Just like your other muscles and joints, the TMJ can become sore or injured from overuse or stress. When this happens, it is called TMD.
How do I Know if I Have TMD?
Here are some of the most common symptoms associated with TMD:
- Clicking noise when opening and closing the mouth.
- Difficulty biting or chewing
- Earaches and headaches
- The jaw seems to frequently lock
- Jaw pain
- Pain on both sides of the face
If you are experiencing any of these conditions, you should not hesitate to call us to set up an appointment.
How is TMD Treated?
At Sara Cummins Aesthetics & Implant Dentistry, we use Botox to relieve the symptoms and main causes of TMD. With Botox injections, we help the facial muscles to relax, which relieves stress on the TMJ.
We can also treat TMD with custom-built TMJ appliances. The TMJ appliance will prevent you from grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw.
The Benefits of Botox for TMD
Besides just relieving the pain of the TMD condition, Botox treatments have several other benefits:
- Prevent Bruxism – By relaxing the facial muscles, Botox injections can help prevent bruxism, which is better known as teeth grinding and teeth clenching.
- Help Prevent Dystonia – Botox injections can also help with dystonia, which is also known as teeth chattering.
- Smooth Out Facial Wrinkles – The pain you feel can often be seen on your face because it causes you to frown or scowl, which can leave wrinkles known as worry lines. Botox injections can smooth away those worry lines, and make you look younger and happier.
Like any other joint pain or injury, TMD will only get better if it is treated, so if you think you might have a TMD condition, call our office today to set up and appointment!
