Home Treatment
If your
symptoms are mild, try
home treatment for at least 2 weeks. If your symptoms get worse during this
time, call your doctor or dentist.
Home treatment
involves reducing your stress, resting your jaw (by eating only soft or pureed
foods), taking steps to reduce pain, and exercising your jaw.
To
help relieve pain and restore jaw function:
- Put either an ice pack or a warm, moist cloth on your jaw for 15
minutes several times a day if it makes your jaw feel better. Or you can switch
back and forth between moist heat and cold. Gently open and close your mouth
while you use the ice pack or heat. But don't use heat if your jaw is swollen.
Use only ice until the swelling is gone.
- Change your diet to
decrease jaw strain.
- to keep your
jaw muscles relaxed.
- as prescribed by your doctor or physical
therapist.
- Try comfort measures such as moist heat, ice, or nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs ().
- . Many people tend to clench or tighten their muscles when they
are under stress of any kind.
- Change your body mechanics, such as by using good
posture for sitting and standing.
If you have been diagnosed with a TM disorder, these home
treatment measures will optimize the treatments prescribed by your doctor or dentist, such as a
splint therapy or physical therapy.