Sometimes people will have issues with the health and condition of their jaw. The point where the skull and mandible meet is one of the most complex joints in the body. This is known as the temporomandibular joint. When you have an issue with this joint, you are said to have TMJ (which is short for TMJ disorder). Our Manhattan cosmetic dentist and the team at the office know just how painful and inconvenient these sorts of conditions, and so we want to discuss one treatment for TMJ disorders that you may not be familiar with.
Let’s just quickly cover the symptoms of a TMJ disorder right now. These symptoms include clicking in the jaw, popping in the jack, locking of the jaw, jaw pain, and even occasional dislocation of the jaw. Generally this is all caused by clenching teeth or grinding teeth, which puts undue pressure on the muscles and joints of the jaw.
While you may not have realized this, Manhattan BOTOX® injections have been used to treat TMJ disorders in some cases. BOTOX® injections, if you do not know, are the cosmetic injection treatments that help reduce wrinkles from appearing in different parts of the face. BOTOX® works by reducing muscle contractions in a given part of the face. When used for TMJ disorder treatment, specially targeted injections of BOTOX® solution will help relax the muscles and the jaw joint. Tension will be relieved and pain will be reduced.
BOTOX® injection treatment for TMJ disorders is not the right treatment for everyone. In many cases, you may be given a special mouthpiece to wear at night in order to prevent grinding and clenching while you sleep. Sometimes surgery will be required to address the issue, but this is reserved only for very severe cases.
If you would like to learn more about TMJ disorder treatment and what it may entail, be sure to contact our New York City cosmetic dentistry office. We look forward to meeting with you in person.
