If you have Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, known as “TMJ” or “TMD,” you know this complex condition presents with a whole host of painful symptoms. Even if you’ve undergone TMJ treatment or are currently being treated for TMJ, your jaw is still susceptible to re-injury from trauma such as a car accident, blow to the face, or bruxism (clenching/grinding your teeth—mostly at night).

When re-injury of the Temporomandibular Joint occurs, you must inform your TMJ dentist immediately so she can examine your jaw joints and determine if the TMJs on either side of your face have sustained further damage. Westchester, NY TMJ dentist Dr. Wanda Mejia has devoted her career to treating people like you who suffer from Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction.

What You Can Do At Home When TMJ Injury Occurs

While Dr. Mejia and the Westchester TMJ & Aesthetics team will do everything in their power to get you into the office as soon as possible, not all TMJ injuries happen during regular business hours. You may have been injured in a sporting event over the weekend or a car accident on a Friday night. Maybe you overate chewy, crunchy food absent-mindedly while on vacation or Spring break. Whatever the reason for your TMJ injury worsening, you can take steps at home before coming to Westchester TMJ & Aesthetics for a full evaluation.

  1. Rest your jaw: Avoid yawning, talking excessively, eating crunchy food, and raising your voice. Keep your jaw rested as much as possible until your appointment with us.
  2. Pay attention to your posture. As you probably know, the Temporomandibular Joints move in three different directions, so they’re the hardest working joints in the human body. Ensure your posture is good, and avoid slouching, favoring one side while seated at work, tensing up, and sleeping in positions that strain the head, neck, and back. You can even do some easy exercises to keep these muscles from overworking: Raise your chest bone, pull your shoulders back, and gently squeeze your shoulder blades to straighten your back muscles.
  3. Sleeping well will help ease your symptoms. To help minimize TMJ pain, sleep on your back and use pillows to support your neck. You should avoid sleeping on your stomach, and if you are a side sleeper, please avoid resting your hands around your face and jaw.
  4. Alternate heat and ice to the affected areas. Ice helps reduce swelling and pain, while heat can increase blood flow and relax your jaw muscles. Apply a hot or cold compress to your jaw for 15 to 20 minutes using a light layer of clothing or a towel between the compress and your skin.
  5. Ask about jaw exercises to increase joint mobility. We can suggest exercises to relax, strengthen, and stretch the affected areas.
  6. Try to reduce your stress with meditation, deep breathing, or some other technique that has worked for you. The more you can relax the muscles and joints in the head, face, and neck, the better off you will be.
  7. Avoid chewing on pens, nails, and anything else that will place undue stress on the TMJs. Avoid chewing gum and crunchy or hard foods that require much chewing. Eat soft foods as much as possible so your TMJs don’t have to work hard during meals.

What to Expect with our Westchester TMJ Dentist

If you’re considering scheduling a TMJ evaluation with Dr. Mejia, you can expect the following technologies to be utilized during a comprehensive TMJ evaluation:

  • (CBCT) Cone beam computed tomography gives us detailed images of your Temporomandibular Joints. The high-resolution, 3D images that CBCT produces allow us to see the most minute changes to your bone structure. This enables us to identify abnormal wear and damage as soon as it begins.
  • T-Scan measures the bite force at every point as your teeth come together when biting or chewing. It helps us understand the imbalances in your bite that may cause damage to your teeth, excessive wear of your jaw joints, and tension in your muscles. The T-Scan helps us diagnose and treat TMJ.
  • Electromyography measures the activity and tension level in your muscles, giving us information regarding the imbalance and dysfunction of your Temporomandibular Joints. Electromyography treatment eliminates painful tension in the jaw, head, and neck muscles.
  • TENS has been hugely influential in relieving the painful symptoms of TMJ. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is like a massage because it stimulates your jaw muscles to flex and stretch in ways that release and relieve tension and pain. TENS is an effective diagnostic tool and a treatment modality for TMJ.

Contact Our Westchester, NY TMJ Dentist

Please call (914) 594-6854 to schedule a TMJ evaluation with Dr. Wanda Mejia. One of our team members will assist with scheduling and answer any questions you may have regarding the re-injury of your Temporomandibular Joints.