TMJ Therapy

Treating chronic jaw pain with compassion and excellence

1 in 10 people suffer

from chronic jaw pain

Women are twice as likely as men to have TMJ pain, and TMJ disorders are more common in they young than the elderly.

What is TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) - or simply jaw joint - is one of the most complex joints in the body. If one part fails, temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) may occur. The result is a wide range of symptoms from a simple clicking sound to severe and debilitating chronic pain. Common symptoms of TMJ dysfunction can include:

Clicking or popping noises from the jaw
Limited jaw opening
Lock jaw
Soreness or spasms of the jaw muscles
Headache
Neck pain
Inability for the teeth to properly touch
Chronic jaw pain

What Causes TMD?

Dysfunction of the jaw can be caused by a wide range of problems, each affecting a different part of the jaw joint – or multiple parts of the jaw. Common causes of TMJ dysfunction include:

Arthritis
Injury or trauma
Poor bite (i.e. malocclusion)
Cartilage degeneration
Excess load from clenching or grinding
Hyperactive muscles
Breathing problems

How Does TMD Affect Health?

TMD is a chronic pain condition. Not only can the pain be debilitating, but chronic pain is associated with structural changes in the brain that greatly increase the risk of anxiety, depression, or insomnia.

In less severe cases TMD can cause difficulties chewing, talking, or signing. But problems may be much further reaching. For example, TMJ dysfunction may be the first sign of an airway problem that could result in sleep apnea.

Treatment Options

No two patients are the same. That’s why successful management of TMJ dysfunction begins with an accurate diagnosis – because effective treatment will address the part of the jaw joint that is failing.

Depending on the diagnosis Dr Major may recommend a TMD splint - a specialized appliance to balance jaw function, botox therapy to relax muscle spasms, or orthodontic treatment to correct functional bite interferences that are causing strain on the jaw.

But, because the jaw and TMJ is complex, multi-disciplinary care is often required. That’s why Dr Major always works with a team of physicians from chronic pain counselors, to sleep physicians, and jaw joint surgeons for comprehensive patient care.