Trouble with Your Jaw?
If your jaw feels stiff, painful, or locked when opening or closing your mouth, you might be experiencing a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder. The TMJ connects your lower jaw to your skull and plays a key role in biting, chewing, speaking, and even yawning. Dysfunction in this joint can cause jaw pain, clicking or popping sounds, and difficulty moving your mouth.
At South Mississippi Oral Surgery & Implant Center in Gulfport, MS, we diagnose and treat TMJ disorders using a patient-centered approach. Our goal is to alleviate pain, restore function, and prevent long-term damage to your jaw and facial structures.
Do You Have a TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorders can result from a variety of root causes. Common signs include:
- Jaw pain or tenderness
- Popping, clicking, or grinding sounds in the joint
- Limited mouth opening or locking
- Facial or ear pain, headaches, neck strain
- Worn or damaged teeth from grinding (bruxism)
Diagnosis begins with a thorough clinical exam—checking jaw movement, palpating joint areas, and listening for joint noises. Imaging tests (like X‑rays, CT scans, or MRI) are used in more complex cases to assess joint structure and muscle involvement.
TMJ Treatment
We start with non-surgical, reversible therapies aimed at symptom relief:
- Home & lifestyle changes — Soft-food diet, ice/heat packs, avoiding tough or chewy foods, jaw relaxation techniques.
- Oral appliances — Custom night guards or splints to protect teeth, reposition the jaw, and reduce clenching.
- Medications — NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, and sometimes low-dose antidepressants to ease pain and reduce muscle tension.
- Physical therapy — Targeted jaw and neck exercises, trigger-point therapy, ultrasound, or TENS to improve movement and reduce discomfort.
- Trigger-point injections or Botox — Precision Botox injections can relax overactive chewing muscles, reducing tension and headache symptoms.
What About Bite Correction or Surgery?
When conservative treatments aren’t enough—and symptoms persist long-term—oral or maxillofacial surgery may be necessary. Surgical options include:
- Arthrocentesis — Joint lavage to remove inflammatory debris and ease movement.
- Arthroscopy — Minimally invasive joint inspection and repair.
- Open-joint surgery — Reserved for structural issues like disc displacement, loose fragments, or degenerative changes.
- Orthognathic surgery or joint replacement — In severe cases involving jaw misalignment or joint degeneration.
These procedures are recommended only after careful evaluation and failed conservative management, ensuring a personalized approach to each patient.