Bruxism (Clinching and Grinding) and TMJ Treatment

You have two joints one on either side of your jaw. The pain some people may experience from this joint is often hard to pin point.

There can be many reasons you can be experiencing pain from this joint, most commonly is clenching or grinding your teeth. Sometimes you may not even be aware that you are clenching or grinding as it is being done while sleeping. Clenching can be seen on the teeth as little wedges of enamel that have been chipped away from the neck of the tooth from flexing under force. Grinding is a little easier to see and is most commonly seen on canine teeth where the very tips get flattened. Composite resin is able to be added back onto the canines to give them back their natural shape. However, if grinding continues a splint may be an option. A splint is a thick material that is designed to fit either your upper or lower teeth. A splint only needs to be worn when the grinding occurs which is commonly at night. This will prevent any further wear from occurring on the teeth.

Other reasons you may be experiencing pain from this joint is if the disk that sits in the joint erodes or moves out of its proper alignment, this can be heard when the disk slots back into place with a popping noise. You may not only experience pain in the TMJ joint but also in the masseter muscle.  Pain may be experienced from the upper and lower jaw close to the TMJ joint, other areas include the forehead and ear. Exercises can be given to help release this muscle and eliminate the pain. A referral may also be given to a head neck in jaw clinic to further help aid the recovery of this muscle and joint. In extreme cases a muscle relaxant may be used to decrease tension.