Throw That TMJ Mouthpiece Away For Good

Posted on November 3, 2008
Filed Under Alternative Medicine | Leave a Comment

TMJ is the commonly used abbreviation for temporomandibular joints and the problems associated with it are called TMD or temporomandibular joint dysfunction. This malady associated with TMJ is thought to be caused by displacement of the cartilage where the lower jaw connects to the skull causing strain and stretching of the associated sensory nerves.

TMJ is pain resulting from the wear and tear caused by overuse of the temporomandibular joint that you frequently use as compared to the other parts of the body. It is located in your jaw, a joint that connects the temporal bone with the mandible and you use it from eating, to biting to even clenching your teeth or even kissing. Stress, tension and worry to overuse, as each of these conditions can cause people to grind their teeth or clench their jaws excessively. Usually, teeth-clenching or jaw-cracking happens at night when the patient is asleep but there is more to teeth-clenching when you have TMJ problems.

One of the most usual side effects of clenching your teeth is chronic headaches, but since most headache sufferers don’t think they clench and doctors don’t make an evaluation, the link between them is never made. The pain is due to the tension and muscle tightness that occurs around the joint. Interestingly, even though your pain may be centered around the temporomandibular joint, tense muscles in other areas of your body may be pulling and tugging on muscles attached to the TMJ, actually causing the TMJ problem and the pain will run from your jaw and neck to other parts of the body.

Naturally, it is important to find the true source of the tension and relieve that source in order to get rid of the TMJ pain. There are many remedies for teeth grinding and some of the solution choices can include massage and other relaxation techniques to relieve stress on muscles. Muscle relaxants, night guards worn in the mouth, and heat and ice packs are some of the treatment options commonly recommended by TMJ experts.

Now, let’s talk about night-guards because so far, this is the common treatment that a TMJ expert can suggest to TMJ patients. So, are night guards really effective? Well, to some extent, they are, but only in a momentary basis. There was one TMJ sufferer who already torn 3 night guards because of her intense teeth-clenching at night and the worst thing is, her bedroom partner can’t seem to sleep because of the noise. He said he feels as if he is on a slow and noisy boat going all the way to China.

Night-guards actually look no more than a mouthpiece used by boxers to protect their teeth. Matter of fact, you can go to a sporting goods store and buy one there and it could cost between $4 to $20 but so far, no TMJ patient was satisfied by the temporary results that these mouthpieces can bring. If you want some sturdy ones, let your TMJ dentist recommend one for you but you know how much they could cost? They could cost up to $100 or more. And again, the results are just transitory.

How would you like to know some proper and effective TMJ exercises instead of using night-guards, submit yourself to other dental implants, surgery or even medications? They are expensive, temporary and too risky, for your health and your wallet’s health as well. Yes, there are available TMJ exercises that you can find especially here at Cyberspace. As a matter of fact, you can use this set of exercises anytime and anywhere for only 3 minutes each day.

This time, you might get rid of your TMJ problems forever and you just need to forget about other remedies. But as always, the decision lies in you. Just remember, whatever you choose, your top priority is your health and nothing more.

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