TMJ / Orofacial Pain

TMJ & Orofacial Pain

Relief that starts with understanding the whole picture

Jaw pain, headaches, and facial discomfort rarely have a single cause — they’re often the body’s way of signaling that the jaw, muscles, and airway aren’t working together as they should. At Guided Airway Dental Sleep Medicine, we take a thorough, whole-picture approach to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction and orofacial pain, evaluating jaw movement, joint sounds, muscle tenderness, cervical alignment, and posture to understand what’s really driving your discomfort. Because pain and airway health are so closely connected, we look beyond the joint itself to nasal breathing, tongue posture, and craniofacial development before building a treatment plan. Care may include oral appliance therapy, myofunctional therapy, physical medicine modalities, and coordinated referrals — always designed around relieving pain and restoring healthy function, not just masking symptoms.

Common Symptoms

• Jaw pain, clicking, popping, or locking
• Headaches, especially upon waking
• Facial pain, ear pain, or neck/shoulder tension
• Pain when chewing or difficulty opening the mouth fully
• Teeth grinding or clenching

What to Expect at Your Visit

• Comprehensive history and examination
• Jaw range-of-motion and cervical motion testing
• Palpation of muscles, nerves, and glands
• Joint sounds and instrumented joint vibration analysis (where indicated)
• Imaging as needed (panoramic radiograph, cone beam CT, TMJ films)

Treatment Options

• Oral appliance / splint therapy
• Myofunctional therapy
• Physical medicine (cold laser treatment, red light therapy)
• Manual and self-care support (soft tissue mobilization, cranial-sacral release)
• Referral coordination with ENT, neurology, or physical therapy when needed

Schedule Your TMJ Evaluation