Skip to main content

Part of UT Health San Antonio

Dental Patient Care - UT Health Science Center San AntonioDental Patient Care - UT Health Science Center San Antonio

Part of UT Health San Antonio

Contact Us
210-450-3700

Menu
  • Home
  • Services
  • Our Dentists
  • Our Practices
  • Location
  • Make an Appointment
  • Pay Online
  • School of Dentistry

You are here

  • Services
  • TMJ (Jaw Joint) Treatment

TMJ (Jaw Joint) Treatment

Also called: Temporomandibular Disorders, TMD


TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to your jaw joint. If you have had symptoms like pain or a “clicking” sound, you’ll be glad to know that these problems are more easily diagnosed and treated than they were in the past. These symptoms occur when the joints of the jaw and the chewing muscles do not work together correctly. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the name for each joint (right and left) that connects your jaw to your skull. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important.

No one treatment can resolve TMJ disorders completely and treatment takes time to become effective. Our doctors can help you have a healthier, more comfortable jaw.

Trouble With Your Jaw?

TMJ disorders develop for many reasons. You might clench or grind your teeth, tightening your jaw muscles and stressing your TM joint. You may have a damaged jaw joint due to injury or disease. Injuries and arthritis can damage the joint directly or stretch or tear the muscle ligaments. As a result, the disk, which is made of cartilage and functions as the “cushion” of the jaw joint, can slip out of position. Whatever the cause, the results may include a misaligned bite, pain, clicking, or grating noise when you open your mouth, or trouble opening your mouth wide.

Do You Have a TMJ Disorder?

  • Are you aware of grinding or clenching your teeth?
  • Do you wake up with sore, stiff muscles around your jaws?
  • Do you have frequent headaches or neck aches?
  • Does the pain get worse when you clench your teeth?
  • Does stress make your clenching and pain worse?
  • Does your jaw click, pop, grate, catch, or lock when you open your mouth?
  • Is it difficult or painful to open your mouth, eat, or yawn?
  • Have you ever injured your neck, head, or jaws?
  • Have you had problems (such as arthritis) with other joints?
  • Do you have teeth that no longer touch when you bite?
  • Do your teeth meet differently from time to time?
  • Is it hard to use your front teeth to bite or tear food?
  • Are your teeth sensitive, loose, broken or worn?

The more times you answered “yes”, the more likely it is that you have a TMJ disorder. Understanding TMJ disorders will also help you understand how they are treated.

Treatment

There are various treatment options that we can utilize to improve the harmony and function of your jaw. Once an evaluation confirms a diagnosis of TMJ disorder, our doctors will determine the proper course of treatment. It is important to note that treatment always works best with a team approach of self-care combined with professional care.

The initial goals are to relieve the muscle spasms and joint pain. This is usually accomplished with a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, or muscle relaxant. Steroids can be injected directly into the joints to reduce pain and inflammation. Self-care treatments can often be effective as well and include:

  • Resting your jaw
  • Keeping your teeth apart when you are not swallowing or eating
  • Eating soft foods
  • Applying ice and heat
  • Exercising your jaw
  • Practicing good posture

Stress management techniques such as biofeedback or physical therapy may also be recommended, as well as a temporary, clear plastic appliance known as a splint. A splint (or nightguard) fits over your top or bottom teeth and helps keep your teeth apart, thereby relaxing the muscles and reducing pain. There are different types of appliances used for different purposes. A nightguard helps you stop clenching or grinding your teeth and reduces muscle tension at night. It also helps to protect the cartilage and joint surfaces. An anterior positioning appliance moves your jaw forward, relieves pressure on parts of your jaw, and aids in disk repositioning. It may be worn 24 hours/day to help your jaw heal. An orthotic stabilization appliance is worn 24 hours/day, or just at night, to move your jaw into proper position. Appliances also help protect tooth wear.

What About Bite Correction or Surgery?

If your TMJ disorder has caused problems with how your teeth fit together you may need treatment such as bite adjustment (equilibration), orthodontics with or without jaw reconstruction, or restorative dental work. Surgical options, such as arthroscopy and open joint repair restructuring, are sometimes needed, but are reserved for severe cases. Our doctors do not consider TMJ surgery unless the jaw can’t open, is dislocated and non-reducible, has severe degeneration, or the patient has undergone appliance treatment unsuccessfully.


Dental specialist indicating location of jaw joint treatment on model skull

 

Learn more about TMJ disorders

Available Practices

The practices below offer this specialty care. Select a practice that best meets your budget and availability for appointments.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Faculty & Resident Clinic

We offer surgical services for those who need removal of teeth, replacement of teeth with dental implants, correction of their bites and facial cosmetic surgery. Top services: dental implants, TMJ (jaw joint) treatment, wisdom teeth removal, extractions, bone grafts and cleft lip and palate treatment.

Average Cost: Fees average 60% of the cost of private practice

Appointment Time: Slightly longer than private practice

Education: Graduate dentists completing advanced training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Make an Appointment

Oral Medicine

Our clinic helps with medical issues of the soft tissue of the mouth. Top services: Treatment of canker sores, oral lesions, Candidiasis and Sjogren's Syndrome.

Average Cost: Equal to private practice

Appointment Time: Equal to private practice

Education: Specialists who also teach at the School of Dentistry

Make an Appointment

UT Health San Antonio<br />
Dentistry 8210 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, TX 78229

UT Health San Antonio
Dentistry

8210 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229

210-450-3700

  • Contact Us
  • Maps & Directions
  • Patient Rights and Responsibilities
  • Language Assistance

We make lives better ®

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also called UT Health San Antonio, is a leading academic health center with a mission to make lives better through excellence in advanced academics, life-saving research and comprehensive clinical care including health, dental and cancer services.

Web Privacy | Links from websites affiliated with UT Health's website (uthscsa.edu) to other websites do not constitute or imply university endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and services associated with those sites. The content on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Health information on this site is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Consult a health care provider if you are in need of treatment.