Atlanta Center For TMJ Blog

Why Does My Jaw Click When I Eat?

That clicking or popping sound your jaw makes when you chew or open your mouth wide might feel harmless enough. Maybe you have had it for years. Maybe it just started. Either way, it raises a fair question: is jaw clicking something to ignore, or a warning sign worth paying attention to?

What Happens If TMJ Is Untreated? Long-Term Risks to Know

Left untreated, TMJ disorder doesn’t just stay the same. It gets worse. The clicking, the headaches, the jaw pain keeping you up at night. Are these something your body will sort out on its own? No. They’re warning signs of a progressive condition that can affect your teeth, your hearing, your posture, and your quality of life.

What to Expect at Your First TMJ Specialist Visit in Atlanta

Scheduling a TMJ specialist appointment is different from booking a routine dental checkup. Most patients who come to our office having already seen multiple providers. They’ve tried night guards, migraine treatment, sinus care, or physical therapy, without clear answers.

Traveling in for Treatment? How to Plan Your Trip to the Atlanta Center for TMJ

If you’re planning to visit us from out of town, we want to make your trip to Atlanta as comfortable and stress-free as possible. From nearby hotels in Atlanta, GA, to top-rated restaurants and fun things to do in Atlanta between appointments, here’s your complete guide to planning your stay.

Was TMJ treatment worth it?

Living with TMJ disorder can be overwhelming. From chronic jaw pain and headaches to difficulty eating, sleeping, and even speaking, the impact on daily life is undeniable. Many patients ask the same question before starting treatment: Was TMJ treatment worth it?

How to relieve TMJ pain at home

TMJ pain isn’t just a sore jaw—it can disrupt everything, every day. The tension, clicking, headaches, and discomfort radiating from your jaw to your neck and shoulders—it can be exhausting. You’ve tried pain relievers, and maybe even seen a few specialists, but the relief is temporary at best. So, what can you do at home to ease the pain while you determine your next step? We have a few suggestions on how to relieve TMJ pain.

Technology’s Impact on TMJ Treatment Success

Healthcare looks drastically different than it did even 10 years ago, with technological advancements significantly improving patient outcomes. For individuals suffering from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, innovation is paving the way for more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. 

At the Atlanta Center for TMJ, a cutting-edge approach called MIRO Therapy® is revolutionizing TMJ disorder treatment. Learn how technology is reshaping TMJ treatment and why noninvasive solutions like MIRO Therapy® are the key to lasting relief.

Treating TMJ Disorders Without Medication – Why True Healing Goes Beyond Prescriptions

Modern medicine often emphasizes using invasive solutions for treating pain or disorders, like shots, prescription drugs, or surgeries. These methods only provide temporary, symptomatic relief rather than a true solution to healing and stopping pain. People shouldn’t have to rely on unnatural methods—especially those with negative side effects—to find lasting relief.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can cause severe pain and headaches, which most people try to treat with prescription drugs, dental night guards, and Botox. Learn more about the consequences of using prescription medication for TMJ and a proven way to treat TMJ disorders at the source.

Do I have an earache or TMJ?

Pain in the ear can have several causes. The most common are:

1. Middle ear infection
2. Impacted ear wax
3. Eustachian tube dysfunction
4. Ruptured eardrum
5. TMJ dysfunction

The first four sources of ear pain all can be diagnosed and treated successfully by an ENT. If you have an earache, the first stop should be your ENT to rule in or rule out: middle ear infection, impacted ear wax, Eustachian tube (air pressure) dysfunction or a ruptured eardrum.

Does TMJ cause dizziness?

The answer is yes, TMJ can cause dizziness. But understand, there are several causes of dizziness and vertigo. TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder is only one of them. The key is to determine if TMJ is the cause – or is it something else?

Tips for TMJ pain and headache relief

We all know there are multiple causes of headaches. TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) is one of them. A TMJ headache is characterized by pain that starts in the muscles of the head and neck. Muscles can feel sore, tired, tense or painful to the touch.

Pain has to start somewhere – whether it’s in bone, muscle, skin, connective tissue, nerve or gland. Pain doesn’t just appear out of thin air. There’s always a primary cause – a culprit.

TMJ SURGERY VERSUS OTHER TMJ TREATMENT. WHICH IS BEST?

The short answer: TMJ surgery should be a means of last resort. In many cases, there are less invasive TMJ treatment options available to you. 

Crunching sounds in your jaw joint. Pain when you eat. Can’t open your mouth fully. If you’re suffering with this, you might be considering TMJ surgery.

Sometimes surgery is the only option. But you’d be wise to examine more conservative treatment options before going under the knife.

WHAT’S THE MOST EFFECTIVE TMJ TREATMENT? 3 CRITICAL THINGS TO CONSIDER…

The most effective TMJ treatment takes 3 things into consideration:

1. Is it treating the underlying cause of the TMJ problem or is it just treating symptoms?

2. Is it invasive? Does it involve the use of chemicals, drugs or surgery?

3. Is it sustainable? Will it last?

What’s the difference between TMJ and TMD?

The short answer: TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint. It’s the joint directly in front of your ear that connects your lower jaw to your head. It’s commonly called the TMJ.

TMD is an abbreviation for temporomandibular disorder. It’s a disorder of the actual temporomandibular joint. In other words, the joint is causing pain or dysfunction.

Will my TMJ go away on its own?

The quick answer: Probably not. Depends what your actual problem is.

It’s kind of like wondering when you have a sharp pain in your chest, “Will it just go away?”

If it’s a minor case of heartburn from enjoying that large pizza last night – probably.

If it’s a coronary artery vasospasm that’s a precursor to heart attack – not so much.