Expert: Susan Tannenbam - 6/20/2004

Question
I've had TMJ for years, but haven't worn appliances for about 8 years now.  My husband tells me I grind my teeth in my sleep, though this has tapered off recently.  I do hear clicking, usually if I'm chewing something really tough.  

The main problem I have is stiffness.  This occurs after if I talk very animatedly for long, or if I talk normally for, say, a couple of hours.  I also can't open my mouth extremely wide, though it's not prohibitive to normal activities (eating, yawning).

What can I do about the stiffness and the grinding?  Thanks in advance.

Answer
I'm not a dentist nor a doctor, so I can just relate to you what to do from my own experience with TMJ.  First, I NEVER stop wearing my appliance.  I'm sure if I did, the TMJ would act up again!  It protects the teeth and evens out the pressure when you grind, so it really helps those tight muscles that result from grinding.  Clicking can be another signn that you do indeed have TMJ. Stiffness in the muscle is caused by the tight muscles, that, as I said, are caused by grinding and clenching.  Also, not being able to open your jaw wide is a classic sign of TMJ also.  My advice is to get another appliance and wear it every single night.

An exercize I do to loosen up the muscles around the TMJ joint is the following:  Open wide, hold, repeat.  DON'T DO THIS UNTIL YOU CHECK WITH YOUR TMJ DENTIST!  It could cause a locked jaw in some cases.
Also, heat application is helpful, applied right over the jaw joint.  I have also used muscle relaxants which you need a prescription for, but I would only take these if you have pain and can't eat properly, etc.

Let me know if you need any further help.  If you live in the NY area, I can recommend a very good TMJ dentist who made me an excellent nightguard that fits over my bottom teeth.

Good luck.
Susan