Your temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal bones of your skull, which are in front of each ear. It lets you move your jaw up and down and side to side, so you can talk, chew, and yawn. Problems with your jaw and the muscles in your face that control it are known as temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

What causes TMD?
We don’t know what causes TMD. Dentists believe that symptoms arise from problems with the muscles of your jaw or with the parts of the joint itself. Injury to your jaw, the joint, or the muscles of your head and neck, like from a heavy blow or whiplash, can lead to TMD.

• Grinding or clenching your teeth, which puts a lot of pressure on the joint
• Movement of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket of the joint
• Arthritis in the joint
• Stress, which can cause you to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth

What are the symptoms?
TMD often causes severe pain and discomfort. It can be temporary or last many years. It might affect one or both sides of your face. More women than men have it, and it’s most common among people between the ages of 20 and 40. You may have toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Other symptoms include:

• Pain or tenderness in your face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
• Problems when you try to open your mouth wide
• Jaws that get “stuck” or “lock” in the open- or closed-mouth position
• Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when you open or close your mouth or chew. This may or may not be painful.
• A tired feeling in your face
• Trouble chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite — as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly
• Swelling on the side of your face

How Xeomin® Therapy Helps
A popular treatment for TMD is Xeomin® injections. The injection relaxes the muscles to reduce tension in the jaw resulting in less strain on your TMJ, alleviating jaw pain. The benefit of using Xeomin® instead of BOTOX® to treat TMJ is that Xeomin® does not have additives. Xeomin® does not diffuse away from the intended muscle into which it was injected.

Some patients can also develop a resistance to BOTOX® injections making the treatment less effective. Since there are no additives in Xeomin®, there are significantly fewer cases of patients rejecting the treatment which is important when treating TMD since it needs to be treated consistently. If you are suffering from TMD you will likely require Xeomin® injections once every 3-5 months depending on the severity of your condition as well as how long your body holds onto the effects of the treatment.

If are interested in learning more about temporomandibular disorder or to schedule a consultation, please do not hesitate to call us at 410-643-5500 or click here to request an appointment.