Question: I hear clicking sound from jaw joint when open my mouth. Do I have TMJ?

Answer: It is possible. TMJ is often caused by malocclusion, and a mouthpiece worn during the night is a general treatment for TMJ.

Question: My jaw hurts when I open my mouth. Do I have TMJ? How can I treat the pain?

Answer: It is possible that you have TMJ. In many cases, malocclusion causes TMJ. Wearing a mouthpiece during the night may improve your symptom.

Question: I cannot open the mouth because of the pain. Do I have TMJ? How can I treat the symptom?

Answer: It is possible that you have TMJ. TMJ is often caused by malocclusion, and a mouthpiece worn during the night is general treatment for TMJ. If the jaw joint has infection, you need to take antibiotics.

Question: I have been using a mouthpiece for years, but I have not seen any improvement.

Answer: Although a mouthpiece is popular TMJ treatment, it will not treat TMJ fundamentally. You need to correct the occlusion with crowns and other methods.

Question: I am not sure how I should chew food due to unstable occlusion. Could this be the cause of my stiff shoulder and headache?

Answer: TMJ may be a direct cause of these symptoms. Wearing a mouthpiece during the night may help improve them. Although a mouthpiece is a popular TMJ treatment, it will not treat TMJ fundamentally. You need to correct the occlusion with crowns and other methods.

Question: I was diagnosed with TMJ. I have been wearing a soft plastic mouth guard to correct my occlusion. However, I have not seen any improvement.

Answer: TMJ caused by malocclusion can be improved by correcting the bite. A soft plastic mouth guard is not strong enough to endure the force of chewing, cracking or grinding the mouthpiece. Instead of the mouthpiece, inserting crowns could correct the bite.

Question: Because I had jaw joint pain, stiff shoulder and headache, I sought treatment at a university hospital. A jaw joint X-ray does not show any abnormalities. Am I just be too sensitive?

Answer: A university oral surgery department usually treats TMJ. Because an oral surgeon tends to focus on only jaw joints, a patient whose problem results from malocclusion or whose jaw does not show any abnormality will often not be diagnosed with TMJ.

Question: How much does it cost to treat TMJ?

Answer: It varies by each individual case. Mouthpiece treatment is usually covered by Japanese health insurance and costs about 10,000 with the insurance.

Question: How long does it take to complete TMJ treatment?

Answer: It varies by each individual case, but it will normally take about two office visits to make a mouthpiece.