TMJ

Many guests are surprised to learn that we can treat your jaw and face pain
here at The Health and Vitality Centre.

Often, pain in your jaw, teeth, temples, front of the ear or when you open wide to chew or yawn can be related to the temporomandibular joint, commonly referred to as the TMJ. The TMJ is also associated with ‘clicking’ that you may experience at the jaw or when you have ‘lockjaw’ and you can’t open your mouth as wide as you previously could.

These pains can be very debilitating for our guests as it can affect how they
eat, drink, and sometimes, even how they talk.

The usual causes of TMJ are malocclusions, where your teeth no long match up above and below as they close, clenching and grinding your teeth, and postural problems. These causes come about through poor posture, physical or emotional stress, serious jaw trauma or dislocation, and finally prolonged use, such as keeping your mouth open for a long time during a dental procedure.

In all these examples, the muscles that control the TMJ, particularly the lateral pterygoid, are likely to be in imbalance. If left untreated this can lead to arthritic changes within the joint and a permanent restriction in range of
motion.

Treatment including soft-tissue massage techniques, dry needling, and
adjustments can help to reduce muscle spasming and inflammation and
improve the range of motion available at the joint.

If you are unsure if your jaw or facial pain is attributed to the TMJ a simple test is to straighten 3 fingers, placing them side by side and then inserting them into your mouth, with the first finger against your bottom teeth and your third finger against your top teeth. If you are struggling to fit the three fingers in your mouth, then you have a TMJ dysfunction and should consider treatment.