When doing simple actions like eating, chewing and talking, you might not realise that your temporomandibular joints are the reason you can do such activities. You might not think about your jaw but you use it often and that is why when you feel any pain in your jaw you must pay attention to that. The temporomandibular joint is located in front of both ears and joint of your lower jaw and skull with each other.
TMJ disorder is something when your jaw gets misaligned and you feel pain in the joint while eating, talking and using other facial activities.
How to find out the TMJ disorder?
TMJ pain is not a normal gum or tooth pain but pain in your jaw. Pay attention when you are experiencing pain in your jaw. If you are having pain only in your jaw there are other organs in which you are experiencing pain. While suffering from TMJ disorder, you can also feel pain in your neck, ear, and headache. So while you are experiencing such symptoms you can visit your doctor to diagnose the TMJ.
How to treat TMJ at home
Moist Heat: This is the simplest and easiest way to get relief from TMJ pain. Use moist heat from a heat pack or hot water bottle to get relief from jaw pain and inflammation. This method is safe and easy which can be done at home, be careful while using a hot pack.
Ice pack: Ice pack helps decrease inflammation and reduce pain. Take an ice cube and wrap them into a clean cotton cloth and apply that on your jaw. Make sure you don’t apply an ice cube directly to the jaw. Apply ice on the painful area for 10-15 minutes for better results.
Eat the right food: Eating the right food while suffering from TMJ disorder is important. Eat soft food which doesn’t need to chew more or you can mash your food. Avoid hard or sticky food while your jaw is hurting.
Do jaw exercise: There are many jaw exercises which can be helpful to get relief from jaw pain. Your doctor or dentist can teach you these exercises and you can do them at home. These are jaw stretch exercises if needed your therapist can teach you muscle massage of your jaw.
Wear jaw guard: To prevent your teeth from grinding and clenching you can wear a mouthguard. These guards are made up of silicon and protect your mouth from clenching your teeth. You can visit your dentist and ask him for a customise guard.
Limit your jaw movement: While having pain in the jaw due to TMJ disorder, you should limit your jaw movement. Movements like speaking, yawning, chewing can be limited to avoid pain. Overusing your jaw muscle can create stress in it which can cause pain.
Meditate: To calm your body, you need a calm mind and meditation is a way to achieve a calm mind. To manage stress and that you feel often, you can participate in stress management techniques like yoga, meditation. It is a great way to calm your mind.
So if you are suffering from TMJ disorder, what you need to do at first is, pay attention to its symptoms and then consult your doctor. Your doctor will examine your jaw and will suggest you the treatment according to the diagnosis. In many cases, the treatment is simple & easy but in a few cases where oral medicine and treatment does not help to treat TMJ, surgical treatment is used.
For more help managing your TMJ disorder, contact the trusted team Advanced Dental Implant and TMJ Center . You can visit their website or call them at (662) 655 -4868 to ask questions or to schedule an appointment.