Girlfriend has TMJ. Anyone else know anything to ease her sporadic pain?

Question

Dentists and doctors really can't do much.

Answer 1

Take two damp towels and heat them in the microwave for a minute or so. Place one on each side of her face at the jaw area, as the heat starts to loosen and relax the muscle, start to open and close your mouth, slowly stretching wider each time you open.

This exercise, along with Advil or Motrin for the inflammation of the disk of the temporomandibular joint will usually offer immediate relief of the symptoms. It can be done anytime the TMJ flares up. She may also want to consider having her dentist fabricate an appliance or a mouth guard to help alleviate her condition. She should also avoid chewing anything with any difficulty and especially chewing gum. Good luck and hope this helps her.

Additional information: There are a number of factors that can contribute to TMJ disorder to include grinding, clenching, mal aligned teeth or possibly stress. This is a web site that will offer you additional information. Good luck!

http://www.medicinenet.com/temporomandib...

Answer 2

7 years ago I've been involved in a car wreck and even since suffered with severe on and off facial and jaw pain. I've tried almost everything western medicine had to offer and had visited countless of specialist, had done ct scans, and therapies but to no avail. The doctors I have been to had persisted that there wasn't anything wrong with me and that almost drove me crazy as I was going through hell from this condition. According to all my symptoms I was diagnosed by a holistic doctor as having TMJ and he had recommended this book to me. After following the recommendation in the book for several weeks, it had changed my life. I got immediate relief after following the unique set of exercises in the book and after 2 weeks the jaw and face pain had completely gone. I only wish I would have ordered this program years ago. It would have saved me a lot of pain and anguish.

Answer 3

Hi TMJ is usually caused by exessive pressure on ure jaw so either she will be:
* grinding in her sleep
* clenching during the day
* chewing on chewing gum all day
All these make it worse and she needs to get a biteguard/splint made by a dentist its a soft biting appliance she can put in at night it softens the friction on the jaw bone.
Other than that painkillers will help. There not alot out there to help TMJ. Hope i've helped!

Answer 4

She needs to find a TMJ specialist. (they are rare)

I had my jaw realigned through using a splint (a bit like a plate that exagerated the position of my jaw) in my lower jaw for a year before he put platforms on my back teeth to keep it in its new position. For me this FIXED the pain and also a dibilitating health issue that was due to the jaw restricting blood flow to the brain.

For me, I have a NEW life that is VASTLY different to the life I had before treatment. Seven years on I am still pain free.

Answer 5

I thought there was a surgery that can correct TMJ. Other than that, I don't think there is anything that can be done to ease the pain. My jaw just pops every now and then, but it isn't painful.

Answer 6

Look into the NTI nightguard.
Tell her not to chew gum, not to clench her teeth together during the day (this will affect nightime clenching), avoid chewing hard things. She needs to concentrate on relaxing the jaw muscles during the day.
Do not get a soft over the counter nightguard, it will make you clench more. You need a custom made one. Perferably, the NTI nightguard which covers only the two front teeth.

Answer 7

She needs to wear an NTI bruxism appliance. Common night guards are useless for this.
See below