Chronic headaches are a common symptom of TMJ. A condition marked by the misalignment of the jaw, TMJ places pressure on the trigeminal nerve, the largest of the cranial nerves, which can result in pain that may seem unrelated to your jaw. Due to this pressure, TMJ may also result in ear pain and pressure or pressure and pain behind the eyes.
TMJ headaches are similar to migraines in that they are powerfully uncomfortable and have the potential of impacting work, family, and social life. However, TMJ headaches and migraines are not the same things, and treatment designed for one will not help, in the long term, with the other.
Treating TMJ
Treating TMJ involves restoring alignment to the jaw. This may require things such as dental crowns and implants, along with orthodontic options for bite correction. TMJ treatment also commonly involves the use of a specialized mouth guard designed to retrain the jaw muscles and prevent tooth grinding.
In addition to corrective treatments, addressing TMJ sometimes involves pain management as well. This can include things like TENS, muscle relaxants, BOTOX® treatments, and more.
What it likely will not include is prescription narcotics. While these may be useful in the treatment of migraines, they are unnecessary for most cases of TMJ.
Do You Live With Pain?
June is National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month. If you are living with chronic pain, now is a good time to call our office and schedule a TMJ evaluation. TMJ headaches are incredibly difficult to diagnose and when symptoms seem unrelated to the jaw, inspecting alignment may never even occur to your primary care provider. Having your jaw evaluated by a trained and experienced neuromuscular dentist helps to ensure proper diagnosis when TMJ is present.
At The Smile Centre, we used advanced diagnostics to determine if TMJ is impacting patient comfort. You don’t have to live with pain. We are here to help.
If you believe you could benefit from an examination, give us a call at 941-351-4468 to schedule your appointment today. Located in Sarasota, we welcome patients from all nearby areas of Florida.