TM disorder (tempormandibular) affects your jaw’s joints and muscles. The TM joint connects the upper and lower jawbones and allows you to open and close your mouth, speak and chew. TM disorder may occur because the muscle attached to your jaw, which allows it to move, may become tightened, which pulls the upper and lower jaws toward each other. Tightening can result in joint pressure and worn down teeth. TM disorder can also occur because of damaged TM joints, which can tear essential ligaments in the jaw and can result in arthritic degeneration.

Signs of TM Disorder

• Frequent headaches or neck aches that get worse when you clench your teeth
• Wake up with a sore jaw
• Often grind or clench your teeth
• Find it painful to open your mouth
• Notice a popping or clicking when opening your mouth

There are many different treatments available for TM disorder. Your doctor may prescribe pain and anti-inflammatory medication or muscle relaxers to alleviate pain. Surgery is another option of treatment. You might undergo Arthroscopy, a procedure that drains the joint and inserts anti-inflammatory medication. Soft Tissue Repair mends highly damaged soft tissue and can be used to release “locked” jaws. A third type of surgery available is joint reconstruction, rebuilding or replacing a joint. If you do not undergo surgery, you may visit a physical therapist to increase joint mobility, jaw flexibility and reduce pain and swelling of the joint and muscles in the jaw. Physical therapy will more than likely include jaw exercises, posture training, joint mobilization, electrical stimulation and ultrasound. In some cases, bite correction is needed because TM disorder can cause your teeth to fit together oddly. Bite correction can be achieved through orthodontics (braces, surgery) or restorative work (bridge, crown, shaving down teeth). The final form of treatment available through your doctor is an occlusal splint, a plastic mouthpiece that prevents you from grinding or clenching your teeth together and allows your jaw to heal.

What you can do to relieve symptoms

• Rest your jaw by eating soft foods, practicing good posture and keeping your teeth apart.
• Open and close your mouth as an exercise to improve movement and agility
• Apply ice and heat to relieve pain and swelling
• Avoid stress