TMJ Treatment

TMJ treatment addresses jaw pain, clicking, and the headaches that come from clenching and grinding. At Soothing Dental in Plymouth that means laser therapy to calm inflamed muscle, custom bite splints to take the load off the joint overnight, and Botox to quiet the muscles pulling hardest. Usually it is a combination, adjusted as you improve.

How to tell whether your jaw is the problem

The usual signs are a jaw that aches or feels tired, particularly first thing in the morning. Clicking or popping when you open. Headaches that start at the temples and settle behind the eyes. Teeth that are wearing flat or chipping at the edges. Difficulty opening as wide as you used to. Many people have lived with several of these for years without connecting them to each other.

Why jaw tension is worth taking seriously

Clenching and grinding put an enormous amount of force through your teeth and the joint that carries them, and unlike chewing it goes on for hours without relief. Left alone, that force wears enamel flat, cracks fillings and crowns, and keeps the muscles around the jaw and temples in constant strain. The dental damage is often what brings people in, long after the headaches started.

Bite splints

A custom splint is usually where treatment starts, because it protects your teeth immediately while we work out what is driving the clenching. It is made from impressions of your own teeth, so it fits closely rather than the bulky over-the-counter alternative, and it holds the jaw in a position that lets the muscles rest. Most patients notice the difference in their morning headaches within a couple of weeks.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy is used to calm inflamed muscle and soft tissue around the joint. It is comfortable, it takes minutes, and it works well alongside a splint: the splint changes the mechanics overnight while the laser settles the tissue that is already irritated.

Botox for clenching and grinding

Where the muscles themselves are the problem, small carefully placed doses of Botox let them relax enough to break the cycle. It does not change how you chew or speak, and for patients whose headaches are driven by jaw tension it often does more than anything else. Dr. Alejandra deFuentes Cutter, D.D.S. will tell you honestly whether she thinks it is likely to help in your case.

What to expect at your first visit

We start by listening: where it hurts, when it is worst, what wakes you up. From there we look at how your teeth meet, examine the joint itself, and read the wear patterns that show how hard you have been clenching and for how long. Then we talk through the options in plain language and you decide how far you want to take it.

TMJ treatment in Plymouth

A sore jaw is common, but common is not the same as something you have to live with. If you have been putting up with it, or you were once told there was nothing to be done, it is worth a fresh look. We see patients from Plymouth, Canton, Northville, and a good way past them. Call us and let's talk it through.