Is Botox Treatment Advisable For Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?

Posted on Mon, 15 May 2017

Question: Hi, im thinking i have a bad case of tmj, have been using a mouth splint for 2 months, has taken away some pain, but still get random shooting pain in my face, neck , jaw , tingling in arms and legs. Should i try botox ? My face is a lot fatter then normal and my inside cheeks swollen. Picture attached. I have clicking and popping in my ears and when i run a clicking noise in my head. Have tried osteo, massage everything! Please help.

Answered by Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (50 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
disc displacement, botox, arthrocentesis, splints, MRI

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your query. I have gone through your query and the image.
As far as the pain and clicking in the TMJ is concerned, it can be secondary to deep bite or bruxism which results in abnormal forces over the joint. So the disc present in the joint gets traumatised and results in limited mouth opening with clicking and pain. Nothing to be panic, you can consult an oral physician and get it evaluated. Once the cause is found out, we can treat that. If you have a deep bite, that needs to be corrected. If you have the habit of bruxism you need to get it treated. You can try botox but before that we need to find out the cause and treat it otherwise whatever treatment you take will become waste. You can also take arthrocentesis which gives relief for a period of 6months to one year.
One more thing, if you have lot of stress, try to reduce the stress level because all these issues will get aggravated by the stress. You can continue to use the splints. Nothing to worry about clicking. You need to get an MRI to check the status of the disc.
I hope I have answered your query. If you have any queries reply me back. Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (37 minutes later)

Hi, do i see a dentist or a doctor for this ?

Answered by Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
oral physician, oral maxillofacial surgeon and neurophysician

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your reply.
You need to consult a dentist who is specialised in oral medicine and radiology(oral physician) and a oral maxillofacial surgeon for the arthrocentesis.
For tingling sensation in the arm and legs you need to consult a neurophysician.
I hope I have answered your query. If you have any queries reply me back. take care

Note: Find out which dental treatment will work best for your teeth. Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Remy Koshy