Non-Surgical, Therapeutic Treatment for TMJ Disorder

Temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMD, can take a serious toll on your daily life with symptoms ranging from mild jaw pain and stiffness to severe headaches and difficulty eating. Drs. Martin Farnsworth and Derek Farnsworth offer personalized TMJ treatment at their offices in Mesa, AZ. After evaluating your condition, our doctors can provide a combination of oral appliance therapy and BOTOX® injections to alleviate pain and protect your smile.

What is TMJ Disorder?

According to the TMJ Association Ltd., approximately 12 percent of Americans, or 35 million people, suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder. Two of the most commonly used joints in the body, the temporomandibular joints connect your jaw to your skull. These joints act like a hinge and are used when you speak, chew, or yawn. TMJ disorder can result when joints become inflamed or damaged due to excessive wear, or when they become displaced. This disorder can also develop because of trauma, misalignment, or bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching).

If left untreated, TMD can have long-term effects that impact your quality of life, including:

• Pain in the teeth, face, jaw, or neck
• Stiffness in the jaw muscles
• Limited movement or locking of the jaw 
• Painful clicking when opening or closing the mouth
• A change in the way upper and lower teeth align
• Ear pain or popping
• Headaches
• Difficulty speaking, chewing, and swallowing
• Trouble breathing

Addressing your symptoms can preserve the structure of your smile and alleviate discomfort. 

Exploring Your Options

During your initial consultation, Dr. Farnsworth can assess the severity of your symptoms and check for swelling or irregularities. He can also provide you with a survey to complete at home. Your answers can help us accurately diagnose your condition and target the underlying cause. We aim to provide simple, conservative treatment before exploring more invasive options such as BOTOX injections or surgery.

Our Treatments

Although there is no cure for TMJ disorder, effective treatment can minimize pain and lower your risk of long-term complications.

Hard and Soft Guards

Our mouth guards are fabricated in a Medicare-certified laboratory that also produces our sleep apnea oral appliances. These custom-made devices fit over the upper and lower teeth and prevent teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

Although there is no cure for TMJ disorder, effective treatment can minimize pain and lower your risk of long-term complications.

A soft night guard is more flexible and more comfortable than a hard night guard, however it can wear down more quickly. This option is better suited to patients with mild to moderate bruxism. More severe cases of grinding and clenching may require a hard night guard. This device is composed of an acrylic-like material. Its harder composition makes this appliance more durable but also less malleable.