Temporomandibular (TM) Disorders: Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

If your temporomandibular (TM) disorder symptoms are mild, try home treatment for at least 2 weeks. If your symptoms get worse during this time, call your health professional 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.
• Modify your jaw movements to keep your jaw muscles relaxed.
• Do jaw exercises as prescribed by your doctor or physical therapist.
• Try comfort measures such as moist heat, ice, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Reduce stress. 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 health professional or dentist, such as a splint therapy or physical therapy.

Last updated:	January 24, 2008
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Arden Christen, DDS, MSD, MA, FACD - Dentistry
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC