JAW PAIN RELIEF

Jaw pain is one of the common concern among people seen in all age groups. Jaw pain can affect the everyday activities of the patient like eating or yawming. Jaw pain is mainly caused by Temporomandibular disorder(TMD). Jaw pain must be considered as an early symptom and patients must approach a TMJ specialist for Jaw Pain Relief. Jaw pain can be associated with other symptoms like Dental Pain, Ear Pain, Headache etc. Also the patients suffering from Jaw pain find it difficult to keep their mouth open during a Dental procedure A TMJ Dentist can identify these early symptoms and can advice the proper treatment at the earliest. An ignored/ Self treatment Jaw pain may later lead to a persistent pain condition. A Jaw pain associated with TMD(Temporo Mandibular Joint disorder) can be caused by many reasons. It ranges from malaligned teeth, deep bite(A mal-occlusion or a bite where the upper set of teeth completely overlap the lower teeth), teeth grinding or Bruxism, a missing teeth,decayed teeth to trauma to the Temporomandibular Joint area etc. A pre existing temporomandibular condition can get aggrevated with stress & tension. Therefore a complete & proper treatment provided by a TMJ Dental expert only will result in absolute Jaw Pain Relief. In the first visit to a TMJ specialist, the Doctor will take a complete history about the initial onset, course & duration of the disease. It is followed by a thorough examination of the muscles of Face & Neck, Intra oral examination & Posture Examination. Temporo Mandibular Disorder (TMD) can result in Hypertrophy of muscles in one side of the face. It can also cause a clockwise or Anti clockwise rotation of face. Thus,affecting the appearance of a patient, it inturn result in decreased self confidence.

By undergoing a proper TMJ treatment, the muscles of the face are balanced. Patient's bite will be adjusted in such a way, that all the muscles will be in complete relaxed position. Therefore a proper TMJ treatment not only provide Jaw pain relief but also increase the patient's self confidence and comfort level. The treatment for Temporo Mandibular Disorders include 2 phases. In the first phase, patient is given an ANATOMIC ORTHOTIC which is fabricated according to the Neuromusclar bite of the patient. This bite is determined with the help of J5 myomonitor. It is a completely painless procedure where bilateral electrical stimulations are delivered from the J5 TENS unit. These low frequency impulses relax the face and neck muscles. Patients has to wear this ORTHOTIC 24 hours a day for 4-10 months. The orthotic needs bimonthly corrections A TMJ specialist use OCCLUSENSE by Bausch or T-Scan for the Digital Occlusion Calibration. During the first month of treatment, the patients are adviced to follow a soft diet. Also they should avoid unnecessary talking. By the end of first month of treatment, itself the patients will have around 90% Jaw Pain Relief. The Second Phase of treatment done either ORTHODONTICALLY or PROSTHODONTICALLY. In this phase, patient's BITE is brought to the earlier registered therapeutic Bite position. Orthodontically, the patient's occlusion is corrected with Self- ligating braces. Prosthodontically, the Bite is corrected with Crowns, Onlays (Ceramic/Composite) etc. In case of Edeutulous patients, the TMJ expert will deliver a Neuromuscular Denture in the registered NEUROMUSCLAR bite. Patients often do self medication relying on pain killers, hot packs etc. But this will only provide a Temporary jaw pain relief. It is crucial for the patient to seek medical help from a skilled TMJ specialist and undergo the right treatment from the beginning.

Jaw Pain Treatments

A lot of people suffer from Jaw pain or physical discomfort in the Jaw on a daily basis. These patients find it difficult to chew hard foods, bubble gums and to keep mouth open widely for a Dental Procedure. Most of the people won't take the problem seriously unless it worsens. And there lies the risk of aggrevating it to a persistent or chronic pain condition. Therefore these symptoms must be identified early and people should seek for timely intervention and proper Jaw pain treatments. A large no of population who suffer from Jaw pain rely on analgesics(pain killers). These medicines might provide a temporary relief but the root cause is left untreated. Most of the time, the Jaw pain is caused by Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD). Temporomandibular Joints ( TMJs) are located bilaterally on either side of face anteriorly to the ears, connecting the lower jaw ( Mandible) to the Skull ( Temporal Bone). They are the most complicated joints in the human body. The Temporomandibular joint disorders arise from the imbalance in the working relationship of the Jaw, the Skull, the muscles and the nervous system associated. A TMJ specialist or a TMJ dentist will take a detailed case history and decide on the type of jaw pain treatments specific for each patients.

Jaw pain treatments are only available in very few cities in India. The TMJ specialist will be trained in TMJ Disorders,Neuromuscular Dentistry and Dental Sleep medicine. The treatment differs from patients to patients. This includes fabrication of an ANATOMIC ORTHOTIC which gives a temporary bite position for the patient. This biting position is identified with the help of J5 myomonitor. It relaxes the face and shoulder muscles by providing Bilateral Electrical Stimulation. The orthotics are mainly of three types:- Acryllic,Resin and CADCAM. The fabrication of orthotic according to the registered physiologic bite might take 1-2 weeks of time. Therefore in certain patients, the TMJ specialist will give a quicksplint, which provide a temporary relief from all these symptoms. This phase of jaw pain treatment is followed by a second phase. The second phase is for preventing any relapse and for bringing the patient's Occlusion (Bite) permanently to the new relaxed position. It is done either Orthodontically (Using braces) or Prosthodontically. The treatment time of first phase varies according to the chronicity of conditions. It may take upto 4-10 months in average.

The patient must visit the TMJ dentist atleast every 2 months for correction of bite. This include both Manual and Digital correction. The Digital Occlusion Calibration is done using Occlusense by Bausch. It is a new system which helps in identifying the masticatory forces and pressure distribution of the occlusal surfaces of the Orthotic. The goal of Jaw pain treatments is to attain a painless comfortable bite position for the patient. Hence the early symptoms must not be ignored. It may affect the day today activites of an individual including eating or speaking. The symptoms may mimic other common diseases, which makes it difficult for the patient to go for the right treatment. The Jaw pain may be associated with Headaches, Ear pain and even Dental pain. Ignoring the early symptoms may lead to dysfunctions like Limited Mouth opening , Deviated Jaw movements , Facial Hypertrophy, Face Shift and Facial rotations. This can also lead to Lock Jaws which might need expensive surgeries. Therefore TMD s must be intervened and treated at the earliest .