TMJ and TMD Treatment in Calgary

When your pain is linked to stress, anxiety, clenching or grinding (i.e. bruxism), Botox can be highly effective treatment options. Although more commonly known as an anti-wrinkle treatment, Botox is frequently used to relax the muscles in the jaw, providing relief from TMJ pain.

Dr. Alex Newman was trained and certified to administer Neuromodulators like Botox, Xeomin, and Dysport at the University of Alberta.

We consider a bite to be healthy when your upper and lower teeth meet evenly, are aligned without crowding and do not wear upon each other. This requires the ball of the jaw joint to be properly positioned in the socket at the side of the skull (the TMJ) to allow the chewing muscles to work efficiently.

If the teeth or the TMJ are not aligned properly, the muscles have to work harder to adapt due to an inefficient function. Did you know this can also affect your chewing, and therefore your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the food you eat?

The first thing to note is that TMJ is a part of your anatomy, not a condition. It’s a commonly misused acronym. TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint and TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. To be able to find a cure for your pain, you have to discover the underlying cause.

Problems with your bite can cause pain, so we will want to look at correcting the structure of your mouth. If the pain is linked to secondary factors, such as stress or anxiety, those factors will need to be addressed as well in order to improve your health.

This depends on the severity of your case. In many cases, patients have flare-ups of TMJ pain that will eventually go away. They are unpleasant, but since they aren’t permanent they can prevent some people from seeking treatment, as they assume that the issue has gone away. These episodes of pain are messages from your body trying to tell you that something isn't right. Left untreated, TMJ pain is likely to return and it can cause a great deal of discomfort to you long-term.