TMJ Treatment in Cincinnati, OH
Restore Function and Relieve Pain
Do you experience severe headaches? Do you pain or clicking when opening and closing your mouth? Do you have chewing or biting?
If you experience any of these issues like millions of other adults, you may need TMJ treatment. Dr. Peck at Fred H Peck, DDS has years of experience and expertise in treating patients with TMJ symptoms. He enjoys helping his patients experience a better life through pain relief.
What is TMJ?
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) on either side of your head connect your jaw to your skull, allowing your jaw to function properly – opening and closing your mouth, chewing, speaking. Because they can move in many different directions (forward, back, sideways), these joints are some of the most complex in your body. Inflammation of the jaw joint or other issues with these joints is called TMD or temporomandibular disorder.
TMJ symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways, and some may seem to be unrelated to the jaw.
Symptoms of TMJ
Pain in your jaw, face, neck, and ears
Pain and pressure behind your eyes
Migraine-like headaches
Difficulty chewing or biting down
Pain and pressure behind your eyes
Swollen face
Pain, clicking or popping opening and closing mouth
This is usually caused by a shifting of the disk inside the joint. Clicking does not necessarily mean you have a TMJ issue, because one third of all people have jaw joints that click, studies show. However, if the clicking also includes pain or limited jaw function, like the jaw getting stuck open or closed, it’s probably a symptom of TMJ.
Jaw issues like your jaw feeling out of join or sore muscles
This is usually felt in cheeks and temples where the jaw-closing muscles live. Morning soreness and stiffness often means you are clenching and/or grinding your teeth at night.
Common causes of TMJ
Injury or dislocation
Teeth clenching or grinding – often from stress
Poor posture
Disk erosion
Arthritis
Poor tooth or jaw alignment
Benefits of Treatment
Pain Relief
Treatment with our skilled specialist, Dr. Peck, can relieve persistent TMJ symptoms like headaches, a locked jaw, clicking when opening the mouth, and pain around the jaw joint.
Long-term Oral Health
TMJ can cause long-term oral health issues like worn teeth, decayed teeth, or more serious joint damage. Treatment restores proper function to help your jaw and mouth function as intended which will lead to better long-term oral health.
Life Change
If you've been living with TMJ, you’ve probably been adjusting your life to minimize your symptoms. Headaches may impact and limit your social outings. Difficulty chewing may impact your diet. Discomfort may have you using more pain medication. With treatment from Dr. Peck at Fred H Peck, DDS, we can dramatically change your life for the better.
Pursuing Treatment
Dr. Peck offers a variety of options to relieve and resolve TMJ concerns ranging from jaw massage and relaxation techniques to Botox and dermal fillers.
Assessment
Dr. Peck at Fred H Peck, DDS begins by thoroughly assessing your situation including analyzing your symptoms, evaluating your jaw and mouth, and listening to your concerns. He always recommends starting with the least invasive treatment method before escalating to more involved solutions.
Treatment Options
Jaw massage
Dr. Peck can show you how to gently massage your jaw muscles a few times throughout the day without causing a flare up.
Hot and cold packs
With guidance from our knowledgeable team, you can use hot and cold packs to help alleviate pain.
Orthodontic treatment
Because TMJ is related to tooth and jaw alignment issues, sometimes shifting teeth with orthodontic therapy can help resolve the symptoms.
Surgery
In more extreme cases, surgery may be needed to alleviate TMJ symptoms. However, Dr. Peck will exhaust all other treatment options before recommending surgery.
Learning relaxation techniques
You can try to incorporate relaxation techniques to reduce the amount of tension you may unknowingly hold in your jaw. When the tension fades away, so does the pain.
Custom night guard
With teeth grinding and clenching a common cause of TMJ, we recommend a custom night guard solution. We make an impression of your teeth to create a comfortable plastic mouth guard you can wear while you sleep.
Botox and dermal fillers
Dr. Peck can deliver targeted therapeutic treatment to the tight or spasming muscles with Botox. It will relax the muscles to reduce pain and prevent teeth grinding and clenching. Dr. Peck is a talented esthetic dentist and will create a natural look that may not only relive pain but turn back the clock a few years.
Analyze your diet
Patients can increase jaw issues by eating food that are tough or require forceful chewing like tough meat or nuts placing strain on the muscles. You may want to focus on softer foods for more immediate relief.
FAQ
We can’t wait to meet you.
Call (513) 621-7666 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.