What your dentist in Upper Marlboro, Maryland wants you to know.

Jaw pain can be excruciating! It can keep you from enjoying the foods you love because all you can think about is the pain you will experience when you eat. Fortunately there are effective treatments for jaw pain, but first, you need to figure out what is causing your jaw pain. Dr. Felix Papillon at Papillon Dental Care in Upper Marlboro, Maryland wants to share the facts about jaw pain and its treatment.

So, what is causing your jaw pain? The most common answer is temporomandibular joint issues. The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is a unique joint that has a sliding motion and works to open and close your jaws. It can also shift out of place, causing friction, swelling and inflammation. Inflammatory changes can cause tightness, movement restriction and pain. The pain may also be accompanied by clicking, popping or locking when you open and close your jaws.

Chronic TMJ problems lead to a condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. Dr. Papillon may suggest these effective treatments for TMJ pain or TMD:

• Application of moist heat or ice
• Custom-made splints to wear at night
• Cortisone injections into the joint
• Physical therapy exercises and stretching
• Prescription anti-inflammatories, pain medications or muscle relaxants

Another simple explanation of why you might have jaw pain is if you grind or clench your teeth at night. When you grind your teeth at night, it stresses the muscles, ligaments and tendons in your jaws, face, and head. You may know you are clenching or grinding at night if you wake up with pain and tightness in your jaw and face, earaches, or headaches.

If you think you are grinding and clenching, seek out Dr. Papillon right away. He will make a custom-fit nightguard for you to wear while you sleep. The nightguard works to relax tense jaw muscles and also protects your teeth from wear-and-tear.

There is help for your jaw pain! Relieve your painful jaws by calling Dr. Felix Papillon at Papillon Dental Care in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Call today and be on your way to a pain-free life!