Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is a broad term covering pain and dysfunction of the muscles that move the jaw and the joints that connect the mandible to the skull. It’s both painful and inconvenient and can severely impact your quality of life due to chronic headaches if you aren’t getting the right TMJ treatment.

If you’re experiencing TMJ pain, you should visit a dentist right away and discuss your exact symptoms. Be sure to have quality dental insurance in the event of you needing major dental surgery. Unfortunately, there are currently 2.8 people without dental insurance for every one individual with medical insurance in the United States.

Here are a few remedies and exercises that you can do prior to visiting a dental care professional if you’re suffering from severe TMJ.

Jaw relaxation exercises
Although it might seem like your jaw hurts too much to even attempt these exercises, if you are taking them seriously, they will help a lot. TMJ pain could be so intense that you’ll want immediate alleviation, but calming your jaw muscles and gently performing certain exercises can help over time. Try resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your upper front teeth. As you relax your jaw muscles, you should allow your teeth to come apart.

Doing chin tucks
Another great way to ease your TMJ pain is to regularly perform chin tucks. Keep your shoulders back and chest up high and pull your chin back to create a double chin. Try to hold that position for at least three to five seconds and repeat 10 times every hour or so. If these exercises don’t work at all, contact your dentist right away to learn about new TMJ treatments.

Wear a mouth guard
Mouth guards actually work well to realign your jaw. Mouth guards prevent jaw clenching and teeth grinding, which will help combat your TMJ. Make sure you’re using a high quality mouth guard and get it to fit your mouth perfectly.

If you want to learn more about preventing TMJ or talk to a professional about TMJ treatments, contact Waco Surgical Arts today.