What is TMJ and How is it Caused?

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder affects the jaw with a tension that can be completely debilitating to nearly 35 million people. At times, you may even hear a constant clicking in your jaw with every painful movement.

TMJ disorder may make the simple acts of eating and speaking impossible without significant pain. And with such pain intensity, you also cannot sleep. You need relief!

Surprisingly, this condition affects 75% of all people at some point in their life. It often starts with teeth grinding during sleep, usually triggered by stress. The muscles eventually develop a bad habit of almost constantly involuntarily clenching.

TMJ disorder is four times more common in women than men. Muscle hypertrophy of the jaw, caused by prolonged over-contraction, occurs. This creates an undesirable aesthetic impact for women, as a wide, squared, masculine-looking jaw develops over time.

Treat TMJ Disorder with BOTOX® or Dysport™

Are you frustrated with your search for pain relief? Have you tried to control your painful symptoms with traditional remedies?

  • Stress-relieving techniques
  • Isometric jaw exercises
  • Acupuncture or therapeutic cranial/neck massage
  • Use of a custom mouth guard

And still, you suffer in pain? Maybe you should try BOTOX® injections with Dr. Michael Macdonald. He is board certified in surgically treating both medical and cosmetic issues of the head, face and neck. He’s been pioneering both cosmetic and therapeutic uses of BOTOX® since 1995.

BOTOX® is not currently FDA-approved to treat TMJ disorder. However, it has a common off-label use. Patients report that it’s highly effective in relaxing the jaw and releasing joint tension. Dr. Macdonald can attest to this himself as he has benefited from BOTOX® relief of his occasionally severe TMJ episodes.

Treatment Expectations for TMJ Relief

Treatment

BOTOX® works by temporarily relaxing the over-constricted muscles that cause TMJ disorder.

The treatment itself entails minimal- if any- discomfort and consists of:

  • Applying ice for vasoconstriction and numbing
  • Applying topical anesthetic to further increase numbing
  • Targeting select injections into the muscles surrounding the jaw joint
  • Treatment takes less than 30 minutes
  • No downtime

The product manufacturers, Allergan and Medicis, may offer therapeutic discount programs for patients that demonstrate financial need. Please contact our office for details.

Results

  • TMJ pain is partially relieved within a few days of treatment
  • Full results are evident in 5-7 days
  • Results vary but may last for 4-6 months
  • Repeated treatments may be required every 4-6 months to renew relief
  • For some, a single BOTOX® treatment can effectively interrupt the cycle of aggressive muscle spasm. This may be enough to make the symptoms of your TMJ disorder disappear entirely and permanently.

It is believed that when BOTOX® temporarily deactivates the jaw muscle, a bonus benefit arises. It seems this process may actually re-train the muscle into a healthier pattern. This is why some patients experience permanent relief of TMJ tension within a couple of treatments.