What is TMJ

TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint, which is found on either side of your head where your jawbone meets your skull. This joint is required for everyday activities like eating, swallowing and talking. When someone consistently and excessively grinds their teeth or clenches their jaw, they often feel pain in their temporomandibular joint. This pain can cause very severe tension and headaches as well.

Botox to relieve TMJ Pain

Something that many people don’t know is that by getting Botox it can be a way to help decrease pain in the TMJ. General dentists at Lawrence Avenue Dental have found Botox therapeutics to be a very useful tool in their dental office to treat patients suffering from TMJ and other oral pain that results in symptoms like headaches, clenching or grinding and sleep bruxism. Botox therapeutics help to relieve tension in your jaw, it accomplishes this by making it so that the muscles can’t engage in the powerful, yet unconscious movement of the jaw, which is what encourages headaches and pain. When you receive Botox from your dentist in East Toronto, you will witness significant improvement in pain, function, and ability to open your mouth.

Since this is a relatively new treatment in the dental world a lot of patients are new to the idea of Botox to relieve pressure caused from constant grinding or clenching.

Let’s start with the procedure and recovery. Some things to expect:

Dr. Lily Lo, your dentist in East Toronto will sort out with you how many injections you will be requiring.

The injections will be given throughout your facial muscles, which cause very little discomfort. It is recommended that you treat your injections with an ice pack after treatment.

Your daily activities are not affected as you can get right back to your routine once you leave your TMJ Botox appointment from your general dentist. It is recommended that you do not rub or massage your face for a few hours following.

You’ll notice improvements as soon as one to two days following treatment, but it can take up to several days before you witness the biggest difference.

Treatment lasts about 3-4 months before you may feel like you need to visit your dentist at Lawrence Avenue Dental for another round of TMJ Botox.

For further information about this treatment, schedule an appointment with your general dentist to figure out what options are best for you as you navigate eliminating your TMJ pain. Lawrence Avenue Dental is welcoming new patient and emergencies. Call us today.