If it is hard to open your mouth, or you hear popping or clicking when opening and the it’s hard to chew solid foods without discomfort, then you may have temporomandibular joint dysfunction. True temporomandibular joint dysfunction is due to misalignment or degeneration of structures within the joint.
Do all patients with TMD require surgery?
No, the majority of patients with TMD can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, a soft diet and physical therapy. In many cases, the above regimen can be initiated, and the patient can be managed by a dentist and physical therapist. Patients who require surgery are best managed by the oral surgeon, like Dr. McKinney at Sandstone Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Edmond, Oklahoma.
If I undergo TMJ surgery, will I have scars?
In the majority of surgical cases, we use a very incisions just in front of the ear. This incision is meticulously closed, and the resulting scar is very thin and placed in a natural skin crease.