How to Make a TMD Mouth Guard More Effective

Mouth guards, used to treat Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), come in various shapes, colors and sizes and treat a variety of health issues and symptoms that affect the temporomandibular joints such as clenching, grinding and improper dental alignment. They are most effective when used in conjunction with other therapies and a TMD treatment plan. Here is how to get the most out of your TMD mouthguard.

Instructions

1. Follow your dentist's or orthodontist's instructions, as they are based on the individual treatment plan designed to relieve your specific TMD symptoms and the health issues causing them. Although this step may seem like common sense, many TMD sufferers slack off or disregard instructions during treatment, causing an increase in symptoms or permanent jaw joint or teeth damage.

2. Relax. The easiest way to make your TMD mouth guard more effective is to de-stress your body since stress is believed to be one of the biggest causes of clenching and grinding. Although mouth guards help to protect your teeth from physical damage, they will not protect your temporomandibular joints or help to reduce pain if your teeth are tensely clamped down or the tendons, muscles or ligaments along your neck and face are so tight that they cause uncontrolled clenching or jaw misalignment.

3. Practice breathing and biofeedback techniques to help you relax and alter any behaviors that may be the source of stress, tension or TMD symptoms. Mind-over-body or cause-treatment techniques complement symptom-only treatments by treating the underlying cause of your health problems and symptoms.

4. Massage your head, face, neck and shoulders or schedule regular treatments with a professional physical therapist or masseuse. Light, regular massage not only loosens over-stressed, tight or strained areas, but helps to release tightened myofascia that may also be an underlying cause of tightening. This type of therapy also works with other therapies to improve muscle-related TMD symptoms by correcting posture issues.

5. Stretch the muscles along your neck, shoulders and jaw through light exercise before and after wearing your mouth guard and after every 20 minutes of computer usage.

6. Talk while wearing your mouth guard. Many new wearers have difficulty accepting the mouth guard's presence in the mouth and may stop wearing it or unintentionally remove it while sleeping--especially if the mouth guard must be worn during the day. Learning to speak effectively with the guard in not only makes it easier for your body to accept it, but also helps you to relax more, as the guard positions your jaw into a more relaxed position.

7. Use ice or hot packs and anti-inflammation medicines to reduce any inflammation of the TMD or exercise-related muscle and tendon inflammation.