TMJ Treatment & Surgery Medford
Solve Your Persistent Jaw Pain & Headaches
Millions of Americans experience jaw pain and headaches every day, and even those who go to the doctor often haven’t found the solutions they need. They’re either told to take medication or that it’s unclear where their symptoms are coming from. At Greater Boston Oral Surgery & Implant Center, we take these and other telltale signs of TMJ problems seriously. That’s why we use the latest technology to identify the source of your discomfort and then treat it directly to deliver lasting relief. We’re ready to listen, and we’re ready to help—reach out today to get started.
Why Choose Greater Boston Oral Surgery & Implant Center for TMJ Treatment & Surgery?
- Highly Skilled Dual Degree (DMD/MD) Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
- Special Training to Relieve TMJ/Myofacial Pain with Botox
- We Treat the Source of TMJ Pain, Not the Symptoms
Common Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
Does any of the following sound familiar? If so, you may have TMJ disorder, a condition that involves the hinges located in front of your ears:
- Jaw pain or tenderness, especially at the joint area
- Facial pain or tension, particularly in the cheeks or temples
- Difficulty or discomfort when chewing
- Clicking, popping, or grating sounds when opening or closing the mouth
- Locking of the jaw, making it hard to open or close the mouth
- Aching pain in or around the ear
- Headaches, often resembling tension headaches or migraines
- Swelling on the side of the face
- Changes in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together (bite issues)
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or ear fullness
TMJ Treatment Options
TMJ issues can stem from a misaligned bite, grinding and clenching, injury, arthritis, autoimmune disease, infection, or even daily stress. That’s why we offer a selection of treatments so we can apply the one that suits your situation best.
Occlusal Splints
A custom-made oral appliance worn to bed, it accomplishes several things at once. It places the jaw into a more relaxed position while you sleep, leading to less tension (and pain) throughout the day, plus it protects the teeth from unconscious grinding and clenching.
BOTOX Injections
While best known as a wrinkle reducer, Botox can also calm overactive jaw muscles to provide profound, short-term pain relief. This can restore a patient’s comfort and can often be combined with other treatments. Additionally, it can shrink oversized masseter (chewing) muscles so unconscious grinding is reduced overall.
Arthrocentesis
Your TMJ joints each have a small cartilage disc that allows the bones of the jaw to slide easily against the skull base. However, they can become inflamed and start to break down in response to TMJ issues. Arthrocentesis is an outpatient procedure where we flush the joint space with a sterile saline solution to remove breakdown products and reduce inflammation. A steroid and other lubricant medications (viscosupplementation) may also be injected to offer additional relief.