TMJ Treatments and Cures

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a fairly new group of illnesses that concern the portion which attaches the jaw and the skull. This doesn't mean that TMJ disorders have recently surfaced, mind you. It's only because the general populace has only started to pay attention to the same, given the media attention it has garnered in recent memory.

Today, whenever a person experiences ear pains, problematic eardrums are no longer the only culprits. Whenever headaches rain in on one's parade, it isn't immediately determined as sinusitis. Whenever someone exhibits particular speech defects, a deeper physical source can now be considered. Tooth pain that isn't caused by cavities or gum disease is no longer as enigmatic as before.

Each of the symptoms enumerated above can actually determine the persistence of a TMJ disorder.

Though the immediate idea of a TMJ disorder may seem complicated, TMJ cures are actually quite simple. Let's enumerate the TMJ cures a person can opt to pursue.

- Pain relievers. If the TMJ disorder isn't that grave, OTC pain relievers can be availed of to lessen the pain. Some problems affecting the temporomandibular joint aren't really severe, and any pain experienced is simply caused by pressure applied on the region.

- Orthodontic solutions. Sometimes, the jaw must be readjusted to cure the TMJ disorder. This is specifically true when the temporomandibular joint has endured so much that the jaw is no longer properly connected with the skull. A number patients may be required to support braces. This will last from 6 months to 2 years. The purpose of the braces is to push (or pull) the jaw to its ideal position.

- Removable solutions. A few subjects will find wearing braces quite inconvenient and limiting. Removable alternatives such as nightguards and biteplates can be recommended.

- Surgery. At times, when the TMJ disorder is so grave that the jaw must be surgically repositioned to eliminate the problem. There are even times when the temporomandibular joint itself has to be supplemented with TMJ plates. Even worse, there are extreme situations when the jaw itself has to be replaced by TMJ implants. Don't let this cause much fear, however, as surgery is considered as last resort and situations that require the same are really very, very rare.