Botox Injections for TMJ in Seattle

Trust Our Highly-Rated Downtown Dentists to Help Treat Your TMJ

Do you experience pain and clicking in your jaw, neck pain or debilitating headaches?  TMJ or TMD disorder impacts more than your teeth and jaw. 

The tiny temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that is responsible for the opening and closing of the mouth could be the root of all your problems. TMJ can affect the jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles as well as cause chronic jaw pain and even result in a host of vague symptoms that can go undiagnosed for months, even years. Unfortunately, TMD or TMJ is often a chronic condition.

Botox / Xeomin injections can help relieve and decrease the clicks or joint sounds and other TMJ-related disorders such as pain, hyperactivity, mandibular movement, and dysfunction.

Call us today at (206) 343-8774 or request an appointment online to schedule your Botox / TMJ appointment with our experienced dental team in downtown Seattle.

How Botox Helps with TMJ / TMD

Injecting the jaw muscles with Botox / Xeomin causes them to have limited function which can relieve pain and reduce TMJ symptoms.

How does it do this? Botox / Xeomin is a neurotoxin protein that uses botulinum toxic Type A which causes temporary muscle paralysis. While it doesn’t address the underlying root cause of TMJ, Botox / Xeomin can provide relief from the symptoms of TMJ / TMD.

It most commonly helps with

• lock jaw in cases of severe stress
• jaw tension
• headaches due to teeth grinding

A 2012 study found that Botox could significantly decrease pain and increase mouth movements for three months following treatment. The results of two other studies, one published in 2003, and the other published in 2008, were similar.

TMJ / TMD Treatment Options

75% of Americans experience symptoms of TMJ / TMD at some point in their lifetime and, for many, the symptoms resolve without treatments or with simple lifestyle changes.

In addition to Botox / Xeomin injections, below are a few additional treatment options for TMJ / TMD. 

• Get a customized bite guard – this is the most widely recommended treatment for moderate TMJ symptoms
• Avoid wide yawning and chewing gum
• Do jaw exercises (these can be recommended by one of our dentists)
• Use over-the-counter pain relief medications
• Minimize eating foods that require prolonged chewing
• Reduce stress

Additionally, you can take notice of bad habits that cause TMD pain and work on reducing or eliminating these habits.

• Grinding your teeth
• Clenching your teeth
• Resting your jaw in your hand
• Nail biting
• Chewing cheeks and lips
• Clenching jaw muscles pushing the tongue against your teeth

What Happens If You Don’t Treat Chronic TMJ / TMD?

Since TMJ disorder is easily aggravated by so many normal daily activities such as eating, talking, yawning, it can be challenging to avoid for even a moment. For this reason, if you suffer from TMJ syndrome you should seek treatment from an experienced TMJ / TMD specialist.

Untreated, many TMJ sufferers turn to pain relievers or other forms of medication such as alcoholism or drug abuse to relieve symptoms of TMJ. Without treatment, TMJ can also negatively impact your dental health. Many people with TMJ show signs of premature wear and tear on their teeth – primarily from grinding the teeth and from the tendency of sufferers to favor one side of the jaw over the other. An off-center jaw that leads to favoring one side while chewing can also create swelling on one side of the face, and unsymmetrical muscle growth over time. This can give the patient a lopsided appearance that is nearly impossible to reverse.

Additionally, since the joint in question is located directly beneath the ears, many TMJ sufferers end up with ear pain which can eventually lead to tinnitus or even permanently compromised hearing.

Lastly, TMJ can lead to serious jaw problems such as getting permanently “stuck” open or the breakdown of cartilage in the jaw resulting in pain and unpleasant grinding sounds or even dislocation of the jaw. 

Don’t wait for your TMJ to escalate. Contact our dental team today to book your TMJ appointment.