Millions of people have a TMJ disorder, yet, some physicians and dentists still misunderstand the condition. Because of this, you may have had unnecessary medical treatments, surgery, or dental work. You may have even been told that your symptoms are “all in your head.”

At Point Richmond Dental Studio, our team is led by highly trained dentists in Orofacial pain and TMJ disorders. We know your symptoms are real, understand what you’re going through, and have many ways to help you feel better and get on the road to healing.

If you have a TMJ Disorder, you may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Pain, soreness, or tightness in your jaw muscles
  • Pain directly in front of the ear over your jaw joints
  • Jaw pain when you eat or whenever you move your jaw
  • Limited jaw motion, often called lockjaw
  • A feeling that your jaw is out of whack or your bite has changed
  • Clicking, popping, or gravelly sounds coming from your jaw joints
  • Clenching your teeth during the day
  • Teeth clenching and grinding while you’re asleep
  • Sore teeth when you wake up in the morning
  • Headaches in your temples

TMJ Disorders Can Also Cause These Less-Common Symptoms

  • Unexplained ear pain
  • Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
  • Clogged ears or a feeling of pressure in your ears
  • Persistent neck pain (particularly when you get up in the morning)
  • Tooth pain that is hard to diagnose or doesn’t respond to treatment
  • Altered sensations in your face and jaw

If you suffer from a TMJ disorder, there’s a good chance you’ve been dealing with it for a long time. Your TMJ jaw pain level may be so high, you feel like it’s taken over your life. You’re desperate for relief and want to know how long your TMJ will last.

The good news is your condition is treatable, and you can get better. Our dentists are dedicated to helping people like you get relief from your TMJ jaw pain and other symptoms. We combine decades of experience and extensive training with empathy and compassion.

You can make an appointment by calling (510) 233-4470.

How Long Does TMJ Last?

A TMJ disorder is orthopedic in nature, and like any other orthopedic problem, it’s difficult to determine how long TMJ will last. However, TMJ is typically caused by tired, tight, injured, or sore muscles, inflamed tendons, or a compromise in the ligaments, bone, and cartilage surrounding the temporomandibular joints (your TMJs).

Treating TMJ jaw pain and related symptoms is similar to how other orthopedic problems are handled, such as knee injuries. While we cannot pinpoint how long your TMJ will last, treating a TMJ disorder requires these three things:

  • Understanding What Caused Your TMJ Disorder: Other than specific, identifiable, single, or repetitive traumas and underlying medical disorders that compromise muscles, tendons, and joint structures, the most causes of TMJ disorders are referred to as “risk factors.” Typical risk factors are daytime jaw over-use behaviors, sleep bruxism (teeth clenching or grinding ), a bad bite, life’s stresses, tension, anxiety, with or without sleep breathing disorders, etc.

    Accurately determining your risk factors is critical in figuring out what’s causing your TMJ jaw pain and other symptoms and how long your TMJ will last.

  • Stopping New Injury, If Possible: Once the risk factors that have caused your TMJ disorder are identified, the next step is to try to reduce or eliminate them. It’s not always easy, and that is where a our dentists expertise is invaluable. Reducing or eliminating your risk factors has a strong impact on how long your TMJ will last.
  • Proper Treatment & Time: Your TMJ disorder likely did not happen overnight and won’t go away overnight. Getting relief from your TMJ jaw pain or other symptoms requires time, patience, and, especially, your participation.

Common Treatments For TMJ-TMD

Common treatments for TMJ-TMD can include muscle massage, exercises, medications, physical therapy or chiropractic care, relaxation techniques, intra-oral appliances, muscle and joint therapeutic injections, and/or Neurotoxins like BOTOX©. In some cases, an alteration to the surface of a tooth or a change to how your teeth come together is needed.

The bottom line is that TMJ disorders are complex and take time to heal. So, the answer to, “How long will my TMJ last?” is difficult to pinpoint.

At Point Richmond Dental Studio, we have the knowledge, experience, empathy and understanding you need to get on the road to healing. Once you understand your problems are familiar to us and treatable, you’ll feel a lot better. Call (510) 233-4470 to make an appointment.