TMJ TREATMENT · BETHESDA, MD

Your jaw shouldn’t hurt every time you use it.

Jaw pain, stiffness, painful clicking or difficulty opening your mouth can make eating, talking and even yawning uncomfortable. We’ll help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms and what kind of care makes sense.

The goal isn’t to chase every click — it’s to understand pain, function and what your jaw actually needs.

WHEN YOUR JAW NEEDS A CLOSER LOOK

Six signs it may be more than a tired jaw.

Jaw sounds alone aren’t always a problem.
But pain, stiffness or changes in how your jaw moves are worth paying attention to.

Jaw or facial pain

Aching around the jaw joint, cheek or chewing muscles can be one of the most common signs of a temporomandibular disorder.

Painful clicking or popping

Jaw sounds accompanied by pain or limited movement deserve more attention than clicking that happens without discomfort.

Your jaw feels stiff

Tightness or difficulty moving your jaw normally can make chewing, speaking or opening wide uncomfortable.

Your jaw locks

If your mouth occasionally gets stuck open or closed, or movement suddenly feels restricted, the joint should be evaluated.

Chewing makes it worse

Pain that increases while eating, biting or repeatedly using the jaw can point to stress involving the joint or chewing muscles.

Head, ear or neck discomfort

Some people with TMD also experience discomfort that spreads into the face or neck, headaches, or symptoms around the ears.

A painless click can be common. Pain, locking or limited movement tells us more.

Clicking without pain is common and often doesn’t need treatment. Painful clicking, locking, stiffness or limited movement are different — and deserve a closer look.

TMJ VS. TMD

Your TMJ is the joint. TMD is what happens when something isn’t working well.

You have two temporomandibular joints — one in front of each ear — connecting your lower jaw to your skull. Together with the surrounding muscles, they allow your jaw to open, close and move side to side.

“TMJ” technically refers to the joint itself. Temporomandibular disorders, or TMDs, are a group of more than 30 conditions involving the jaw joints, chewing muscles and related tissues.

That distinction matters because jaw pain does not have one single cause or one universal treatment. Symptoms may involve the joint, muscles or a combination of factors, which is why treatment should start by understanding what is actually contributing to your problem.

START CONSERVATIVE

TMJ care should match the problem — not permanently change your bite by default.

Many TMD symptoms improve with conservative care. What we recommend depends on your symptoms, examination and what appears to be driving them.

Conservative Jaw Care

Simple measures may include temporarily reducing heavy chewing, modifying habits that overload the jaw, using heat or cold and performing appropriate jaw exercises.

Custom Oral Appliance

For selected patients, a custom night appliance may be used as part of a conservative plan to help manage jaw or muscle symptoms without permanently altering the teeth.

Coordinated Care

TMD can involve muscles, joints and other sources of facial pain, so some patients benefit from coordinated care with physical therapy, medical or other appropriate specialists.

YOUR TMJ EVALUATION · STEP BY STEP

First understand the jaw. Then decide what it needs.

We start with when your symptoms happen, what makes them worse, how long they’ve been present and whether your jaw ever locks or feels restricted.

We assess jaw opening, movement, joint and muscle tenderness and how your symptoms behave, using imaging when clinically appropriate.

We explain what we find and build a conservative plan around your specific symptoms, with referral or additional care if the problem requires it.

What patients say

200 reasons to choose us.

We don't ask you to trust us. We let our patients do the talking.

Get clarity on your jaw pain without letting cost stop the conversation.

If TMJ treatment is appropriate for you, our team can help you understand available payment options. Cherry, Sunbit, Proceed and Care Credit financing is available for eligible treatment with no hard credit check · approval in seconds · and plans from 3 to 24 months. We also accept most PPO insurance plans.

Your jaw is involved in almost everything you do. It shouldn’t hurt to use it.

If pain, stiffness, locking or uncomfortable jaw movement is getting in the way of eating, talking or everyday life, come in and let us understand what’s happening.