TMJ Surgery

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TMJ Disorders

Understanding Jaw Joint Pain, Clicking, or Locking

Understanding TMJ Disorders
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders affect the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, often causing pain, stiffness, clicking, or popping sounds, and difficulty opening or moving the mouth. These symptoms can interfere with daily activities, such as eating and speaking.

Treatment Options
Most TMJ disorders respond well to conservative treatments like therapy, appliances, or medication. When symptoms persist despite these approaches, surgical treatment may be recommended to relieve discomfort and restore jaw function, helping improve overall quality of life.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorders

You may be dealing with a TMJ disorder if you notice:

Jaw pain or stiffness
Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds when opening your mouth
Difficulty chewing or fully opening your jaw
Frequent headaches, neck pain, or earaches
Locking of the jaw (open or closed)
Worn, loose, or sensitive teeth

Treatment Options

Surgical treatment for TMJ disorders is typically considered after conservative options have failed. With extensive experience in TMJ care, Dr. Devin may recommend surgery when non-surgical therapies such as physical therapy, orthotics, or medications don’t relieve symptoms. Surgical inventions are proven to restore functions and improve quality of life.

Causes of TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders can result from:

Teeth grinding or jaw clenching
Joint injury or trauma
Arthritis or joint degeneration
Congenital defects
Pathological conditions
Muscle overuse or tension

Experiencing one or more of these symptoms? You may be dealing with TMJ disorder.

Arthroscopy (Minimally Invasive Surgery)

TMJ arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical option that can successfully relieve symptoms for the majority of patients. Similar to minimally invasive procedures commonly used by orthopedic surgeons for joints such as the knee and shoulder, arthroscopy allows the surgeon to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions within the TMJ.

Dr. Devin is trained to provide advanced arthroscopic therapies to address issues such as adhesions, synovitis, and fibrous capsule disorders. When indicated, additional procedures including biopsies and disc plication may also be performed during arthroscopy.

These procedures are performed in our office-based surgical suite and are designed to reduce tissue disruption, support faster recovery, and improve overall joint function.

Open Joint Surgery

When arthroscopy is not indicated or when more extensive treatment is required, open joint surgery may be recommended. These procedures allow for direct access to the joint and are used to address more complex or advanced TMJ conditions.

Open TMJ surgeries have a high success rate and may include disc removal, disc plication, treatment of joint pathology, or total joint replacement when necessary. Dr. Devin carefully evaluates each patient to determine the most appropriate surgical approach, ensuring that open surgery is only recommended when it offers the best opportunity for long-term relief and improved jaw function.