TMJ Pain: Causes and Treatment Options

Millions of people in Germany suffer from temporomandibular joint pain at least occasionally. And the number of people who experience chronic pain in the jaw joint is also very high. But what can trigger this pain, and how can it be brought under control? With our TMD treatment – for temporomandibular disorder, often called TMJ, we get to the root causes in a targeted way.

Here you will learn what causes temporomandibular joint pain can have and what measures provide immediate and long-term relief.

The experts at JUST KFO in Cologne are happy to help you combat your temporomandibular joint pain. Various approaches are available for this.

What causes can temporomandibular joint pain have?

Pain in the temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) can have various causes. Fairly often, a temporomandibular disorder (TMD, often called TMJ) is behind it. This is a condition of the chewing system in which the interplay of joints, muscles and tendons is disturbed.

According to conservative estimates, one in ten adults has TMD and the corresponding symptoms. These include pain in the temporomandibular joints. The jaw may also open only to a limited extent and produce popping and grinding sounds.

Additional symptoms of TMD can include pain radiating to other parts of the head as well as to the shoulders, neck, back and cervical spine. Dizziness and tinnitus can also occur.

Temporomandibular joint pain can also have dental causes. For example, there may be a problem with the wisdom teeth. If the teeth do not have enough space when erupting or are inflamed, the jaw can also be affected.

An injury or accident can also cause pain in the temporomandibular joint — as can overloading of the jaw. A common cause is stress. In this case, the jaw muscles are constantly tense, which causes pain over a longer period.

Other possible causes of temporomandibular joint pain are a sinus infection and neurological disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia.

To effectively treat pain in the jaw, it is essential to get to the root of it. Only when it is known what causes the pain can appropriate measures be taken.

However, there are some methods with which you can relieve temporomandibular joint pain at least for the moment.

TMJ Inflammation: Signs — and What Helps Now

Not every jaw joint pain is inflammation. Medical professionals speak of TMJ inflammation (arthritis or capsulitis of the temporomandibular joint) when the joint itself is irritated — usually due to overload after nighttime clenching, after a blow, or after a long dental treatment with the mouth held wide open, less commonly as part of a rheumatic disease.

How to recognize inflammation rather than muscle tension: The pain is located directly in front of the ear and can be pinpointed to the joint with your finger · it becomes stronger when chewing, yawning, and when pressure is applied to the joint · mouth opening is restricted or the joint feels stiff in the morning · sometimes the area is slightly swollen or warm. Muscle pain, on the other hand, spreads across the cheek and temple and cannot be pinpointed as precisely.

What helps in the first few days: Rest the jaw — soft foods, do not chew on nails or pens, avoid chewing gum · small bites, do not open the mouth wide · cooling for swelling, warmth for tension · the jaw relaxation exercises from our article, but without stretching into pain. Pain medication only after consultation with a doctor.

When you should have it examined: if symptoms do not subside after one to two weeks of rest, if the mouth can no longer open or close properly, with fever, significant swelling, or if other joints are also painful. The joint should then be examined — initially with a clinical functional analysis, with imaging if needed. An occlusal splint relieves an irritated joint at night; if a rheumatic cause is suspected, we work together with rheumatology.

What measures can I take immediately to combat the pain?

An often effective immediate measure against pain in the temporomandibular joint is the intake of pain-relieving medications. Medications such as ibuprofen, paracetamol and aspirin are available over the counter at the pharmacy.

However, taking such medications should in no way be confused with the long-term treatment of temporomandibular joint pain. It is merely about eliminating the pain in the short term.

Sometimes exercises for relaxation can also help combat temporomandibular joint pain. These help loosen the muscles around your jaw joints. For muscle tension, heat (e.g., from a red light lamp) can also provide short-term relief.

It is also advisable to avoid chewing hard or tough foods. This measure also helps relax the chewing muscles.

When should I see a doctor for jaw pain?

You should seek medical advice if you experience sudden severe pain in the jaw area. If you notice swelling or redness, a visit to a medical practice is also recommended. The same applies if it is difficult or impossible to open your mouth.

For mild pain, it is not necessarily required to see a dentist or orthodontist immediately. However, if the pain persists for longer than a week, an examination is advisable.

These signs concern the acute case. More common is the other situation: The pain is bearable, comes and goes, and the clarification is postponed week after week. There are also indicators for this – pain on most days for more than four weeks, headache or ear symptoms that occur together with the jaw, morning tension in the chewing muscles, a bite that feels different.

What speaks against waiting for a long time is less dramatic than it sounds: If you have pain for months, you will eventually move your jaw differently – favoring one side, avoiding certain movements, chewing on one side only. These compensatory patterns overlay the original picture and make it harder to determine the cause cleanly. Early clarification therefore keeps the options open. It says nothing about whether treatment will ultimately be necessary at all – often it is not. Why jaw pain often occurs only on one side is explained in our article on one-sided jaw pain.

For an initial assessment: Our TMD self-test takes about two minutes, is anonymous, and requires no registration. It does not replace an examination, but it shows you whether your symptoms form a pattern.

Most problems with the temporomandibular joints can be managed with the appropriate therapy. For this, however, it is important that the diagnosis is made early. This helps avoid complications and allows treatment to proceed smoothly.

Please feel free to contact JUST KFO if you suffer from temporomandibular joint pain. With professional diagnostics, we determine the cause of your jaw pain and develop an effective treatment plan.

Through our website, you can book an appointment online.

What long-term solutions are available for temporomandibular joint pain?

If the jaw pain does not subside, treatment is necessary to make it disappear permanently. What measures are taken depends decisively on the cause. After a thorough examination by a dentist and/or orthodontist, the cause of the temporomandibular joint pain is usually identified.

In TMD treatment, an occlusal splint is used in most cases. A fixed bite appliance is also possible to correct the temporomandibular joint disorder.

Good to know: Splints are not only used for TMD – nighttime snoring and mild sleep apnea can also be effectively treated with an individually fitted mandibular advancement device for sleep apnea.

We at JUST KFO are experts in treating TMD. In addition to the precise fabrication of splints and bite appliances, we frequently collaborate with specialists in manual and osteopathic medicine.

How she is doing after treatment is described by a patient of our practice in the video – a personal account, not a general course of treatment.

If orthodontics cannot identify any reasons for the jaw pain, then visiting an ENT specialist is advisable. A neurologist can also help find the cause of the problems.

If the cause of your jaw pain is regular stress, then reducing stress is the optimal solution.

First, you should analyze what is causing the increased stress. In many cases, the cause is quickly identified; in others, finding the root cause requires deeper exploration.

In addition to eliminating the source of stress, relaxation exercises can help you cope. Many people find fulfillment in yoga, while others swear by meditation. Which method works best for you is something you’ll discover yourself. Professional psychological support can also help in managing stress.

An example from our practice

A 28-year-old patient came to us with long-standing complaints: pain in both temporomandibular joints, clicking noises, pain radiating into the ears, and recurring neck and back problems. She had been taking painkillers for a long time. The functional examination showed a clear connection with her bite. We first made an individual occlusal splint that relieves the joint and muscles and at the same time tests which jaw position is pain-free. At the follow-up functional examination the patient was almost free of complaints, and the pain medication could be stopped. We then used aligners to move the teeth so that they hold this jaw position without the splint; over several years of follow-up, the result remained stable.

Read more in our treatment example: splint first, then aligners – the two-stage TMD treatment and in our specialist publication TMD: what comes after the occlusal splint. Every finding is different: the course and outcome of this individual case cannot be transferred to other patients.

Frequently Asked Questions About TMJ Pain