Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the complex joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull. It’s located on either side of your face, right in front of your ears, and is composed of both hinge-like and sliding mechanisms. TMJ disorder, or TMD, is a condition that affects your temporomandibular joint and/or the muscles and ligaments attached to it. Many people use the terms TMJ and TMD interchangeably, though the former technically refers to the joint itself, while the latter refers to the condition associated with the joint. TMD can develop for a number of reasons, including:

• Trauma to the jaw
• Arthritis
• Overuse, or chronic biting, clenching, or grinding (bruxism)

It’s estimated that TMJ disorder affects more than 10 million Americans, most of whom are women between the ages of 20 and 40.

Do I have TMJ disorder? 
If you’re suffering from TMJ disorder, you might experience:

• Pain in your TMJ, or where your jawbone connects to your skull
• Chronic headaches and/or migraines
• A clicking, grating, or popping sound or sensation when you open and close your mouth
• Painful or sensitive teeth
• Pain in your neck, back, and/or shoulders
• Facial pain and sinus pressure
• Pain, ringing, and/or congestion in your ear
• Numbness in your arms, hands, and/or fingers

If you’re experiencing any of these conditions, schedule an appointment with Dr. Mizrahi. She can perform a thorough examination of your joint to determine the cause of your symptoms and develop a treatment plan to help alleviate them.

Dr. Mizrahi’s first course of action in the treatment of TMJ disorder is to relieve your symptoms, particularly any swelling and pain. In order to alleviate your joint pain and muscle spasms, she can prescribe pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, or muscle relaxants, or she can inject a special steroid directly into your joint. Once your symptoms are reduced, she works on treating the condition itself. She starts conservatively by recommending some self-care techniques, like resting your jaw, incorporating more soft foods into your diet, and icing the affected area. If your TMJ still persists, she moves on to nonsurgical treatment options, like a splint, Botox®, or laser therapy. An injection of Botox directly into your affected joint relieves the tension of your stressed muscles, which can dramatically improve the condition, while laser treatments penetrate the tissues around your TMJ and the TMJ itself to decrease inflammation and stimulate healing. If nonsurgical treatments haven’t cleared up your TMJ disorder, Dr. Mizrahi might recommend surgical options, like open-joint repair, restorative dental work, orthodontics, or bite adjustment surgery. Although these procedures are highly effective in treating TMJ, they’re more invasive, so Dr. Mizrahi reserves them for more severe cases of TMD.