There is a joint which joins your jaws to your skull and that joint is called a temporomandibular joint or TMJ.
When someone is suffering from severe pain due to TMD or TMJ disorder and that is affecting their daily routine then you can take medical help. Sometimes the pain goes away without doing anything and other times it needs some medical interventions but there are a few cases in which surgery is required.
What is TMJ Surgery?
While other oral methods of treatment like medicines and mouth guards are not able to treat the TMD then surgery is required. In TMJ surgery, a doctor can see inside your temporomandibular joint by cutting your skin.
When is TMJ surgery required?
There are plenty of treatments available to get relief from the TMD symptoms like pain relief medications, muscle relaxers, steroid injections, oral splints and physical therapy and many others. Still, if your TMD symptoms are affecting your day to day life, then you should consult your dentist or surgeon. Your doctor can discuss TMJ surgery with you if he/she finds degenerate due to trauma, osteoarthritis or a genetic disorder.
Various Types of TMJ Surgery
There are three types of surgeries for TMJ that are arthroplasty, arthroscopy and complete joint replacement. These surgeries are performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. In the first two surgeries are same-day procedures which are performed by general anaesthesia. While the complete joint replacement requires you stay at the hospital for a few days after surgery.
Arthroscopy: This is one of the most common surgeries which requires the least invasive. In this, there will be a small incision near the ear from where the surgeon can insert a small instrument on which scope is fixed at the end of it.
The scope helps the surgeon to explore the sign of pain and damage. In this process, the surgeon can extract the inflamed tissue and prepare for the right realignment. A patient can feel swelling and stiffness after surgery but it gets minimised with passing days.
Arthroplasty: This is also popular by the name of “open joint surgery”; it has a larger incision near the ear which helps to expose the jaw joint. In this the surgeon repairs or replaces the disc that allows a patient to open his/her mouth.
In this surgery, the surgeon can do a realignment of jaw and removal of bone spur and scar tissue.
The patients who have arthroplasty have more pain and longer recovery as compared to arthroscopy.
Total joint replacement: The total joint replacement is recommended when the joint has degenerated due to osteoarthritis, trauma or other type of damage that is not repairable.
The surgery is extensive and the recovery is longer and the patient needs to stay in the hospital for three to five days.
After recovering from the total joint replacement the patients had experienced many improvements in speech, jaw movement and diet.
Recovery after Surgery
· The patient can feel swelling and discomfort after surgery and it can last for one to two days. In arthroplasty and arthroscopy, the patient can go home on the same day but in total joint replacement, the patient needs to stay in the hospital for three to five days.
· If the patient’s stitches are not dissolvable then the surgeon will remove them after 5-6 days.
· The patient can do jaw exercise to recover from the surgery to get their normal routine as soon as possible.
· To recover soon your surgeon will give you the stretching exercises which will help you to open your mouth and move your jaw.
For more help managing your TMJ disorder, contact the trusted team Advanced Dental Implant and TMJ Center . You can visit their website or call them at (662) 655 -4868 to ask questions or to schedule an appointment.
