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How to Temporarily Relieve TMJ Pain

How to Temporarily Relieve TMJ Pain

The thing about jaw dysfunctions is that they might hurt a lot, or they might just be slightly (but constantly) annoying. They might cause your jaw to click and pop when you open and close your mouth, or they might not. Regardless, issues like TMJ disorders can cause serious degradation in your jaw’s joints, and if not addressed, the discomfort can grow increasingly worse. The only way to find lasting relief from a TMJ disorder is to seek a professional assessment and treatment at your dentist’s office. However, you can help take the edge off of the discomfort until your appointment with a few of our tips to relieve jaw pain.

Temporary TMJ Relief

TMJ disorders are conditions that result from damaged, inflamed, or otherwise disturbed temporomandibular joints (TMJs), which connect your lower jaw to your skull. When jaw pain flares, relieving the pressure that damaged joints can place on your jaw’s nerves can help temporarily relieve it.

  • Gently massage your TMJs. You can find them by placing both hands on your jaw in front of each ear, then slowly opening and closing your mouth to locate your jaw’s pivot points.
  • An ice pack or cold compress can help relieve jaw joint and muscle pain. For additional relief, alternate the cold with heat (a hot water bottle or heating pad) to relax the tension in your jaw’s joints and muscles.
  • Eat softer foods. The force required to properly break and grind harder, crunchier foods can increase the stress on your TMJs and exacerbate your discomfort.
  • Correct your posture. Your mouth, jaw, head, neck, and back are intricately connected, and correct posture can help keep your entire body’s system of muscles and nerves in correct equilibrium.
  • Wear a custom sleepguard at night. One of the major contributors to jaw pain and TMJ disorder is nighttime bruxism, which describes consistently grinding your teeth while you sleep. A sleepguard will buffer your teeth to prevent them from grinding against each other.

Schedule an Appointment

Our primary goal is to enhance the health and quality of life of every one our patients through customized, comprehensive dental care.

If you experience TMJ disorder, then the pain can be debilitating if you don’t treat it. To learn how to find temporary relief at home and permanent relief at your dentist’s office, Book an appointment Call Sunnyvale Dental Care today at (408) 720-0900. We also proudly serve patients from Santa Clara, Cupertino, Mountain View, San Jose, Campbell, Palo Alto, and all surrounding communities.

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