TMJ issues vary, with mild cases resolving in days or weeks with self-care, but if symptoms last over 6 weeks, persist despite home remedies, significantly impact life, or worsen, it's too long and time to see a doctor or dentist to rule out underlying problems and get proper treatment, as chronic TMJ can lead to long-term damage, say Healthdirect.
Temporary discomfort often happens after a specific event, like a long dental procedure or a minor injury. This type of pain usually resolves within a few days to a couple of weeks. Chronic pain may last for months or longer and is often linked to ongoing habits like teeth grinding or conditions like arthritis.
If you are experiencing TMJ/TMD pain due to pregnancy or other factors, it's time to visit your chiropractor, who may recommend:
Seek medical attention if you have constant pain or tenderness in your jaw that occurs suddenly or during jaw movements or if you can't open or close your jaw completely. Your dentist, TMJ specialist or other healthcare professional can discuss possible causes and treatments.
Severe TMJ dysfunction represents the most advanced stage of the condition and is characterized by: Constant Pain and Discomfort: Persistent pain in the jaw, face, and head that doesn't subside with over-the-counter medications. The pain may be severe enough to interfere with daily activities and sleep.
Conditions That May Be Mistaken for TMJ Disorder
If your jaw pain does not go away with more-conservative treatments and a structural issue in the joint appears to be causing the pain, your healthcare professional may suggest open-joint surgery to repair or replace the joint. But open-joint surgery involves more risks than other procedures do.
Bad Food Choices When Dealing with TMJ Pain
Some habits can make TMD worse:
In some cases, TMJ is present at birth—a developmental defect. But it can also result from injury or bruxism. Sometimes the cause is not known. In our dental clinic, we typically use appliance therapy to take pressure off the TMJ.
Hormonal changes during menopause often lead to changes in bone density and the elasticity of the ligaments, increases in inflammation, changes in pain perception, and more muscle tension, and that can, in turn, lead to jaw pain and the clicking that is often associated with TMJ.
The length of a flare up can also be influenced by whether or not TMJ disorder is actively managed by a doctor. Most flare ups last between two days up to several weeks. A TMJ flare up can cause one or more of the following symptoms: Constant or intermittent pain in and around the jaw joint.
The 3-3-3 rule refers to taking 600 mg of ibuprofen (typically 3 tablets of 200 mg), 3 times a day, for no more than 3 days. This approach is intended to help reduce inflammation—one of the most common causes of dental pain—by keeping a steady level of medication in your system.
This study indicates that corticosteroid injections with methylprednisolone in the TMJ alleviate pain and improve mouth opening capacity for approximately 3 weeks. The temporary relief achieved with an injection can facilitate patients to perform jaw exercises, without being limited by pain.
Recovery Time
The good news is that most TMJ symptoms will clear up in no more than three weeks typically. However, certain TMJ conditions, especially those brought about by arthritis or bruxism, can last months or years, depending on the severity of the underlying condition.
He or she also will examine your head, neck, face, and jaw for tenderness; jaw clicking or popping; or difficulty with movement. The doctor or dentist might also suggest imaging studies such as an x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT).
Benign and malign tumors can affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) as any other articulation. Nevertheless, TMJ tumors are rare and mostly benign.
TMJ pain feels more like arthritis and can lead to migraine headaches. Trigeminal Neuralgia pain is different – it is sharp like an electrical jolt and is usually only on one side of the face.
Pain and Stiffness
If your jaw feels a little stiff or sore, and it's hard to open your lower jaw wide enough to yawn, you might have a misaligned jaw. Misalignment can cause you to compensate in various ways, leading to additional aches and or chronic pain in the jaw joint.
The TMJ is the articulation between the temporal bone cavity and the mandibular condyle. The cranial surface of the TMJ comprises the squamous part of the temporal bone, known as the glenoid fossa, which accommodates the mandibular condyle.