TMJ and jaw joint pain

Jaw joint pain has more than one cause: the joint itself, the muscles that close the jaw, the bite, or a habit such as clenching. Dr. Chad Curtis sorts those apart at a consultation. Most people start with care that does not involve surgery.

Symptom checklist

Bring this list, and mark what you actually have. You do not need every item for a visit to be useful.

• Pain in front of the ear, in the cheek, or in the temple, especially with chewing
• Clicking, popping, or grinding when you open or close
• The jaw locks open or will not open as far as it used to
• Morning soreness, or tooth wear, that suggests clenching
• Headache that seems to start from the jaw
• A change after a long dental visit, an injury, or a wide yawn

Come in if the pain is lasting, if the jaw is locking, or if a dentist has asked for a surgical opinion. A single click with no pain often does not need treatment.

This page is not jaw surgery to move the jaws for the bite. It is also not a substitute for a physician if you have ear pain, hearing change, or symptoms that are not in the jaw.

Conservative care first

The first visit is an exam: how wide you open, whether the joint is tender, how the teeth meet, and what makes the pain worse. Imaging is ordered when the exam does not explain the problem.

• A soft diet and rest of the joint for a defined period
• A night guard or splint, usually made with your dentist, to change clenching load
• Anti-inflammatory medicine when it is safe for you
• A short follow-up to see whether those steps helped

When surgery is considered

Surgery is not the starting point. It is discussed when conservative care has not helped and the joint itself is the problem — for example locking that does not release, or structural disease that shows on imaging. The operation, if any, is named specifically. It is not offered as a general fix for facial pain.

If the visit is an exam and a splint plan, there is no surgical recovery. Soreness from the exam itself should be brief.

If a joint procedure is done

• Day of surgery: swelling in front of the ear and a limited opening are expected. Soft food.
• Days 1–3: swelling often increases, then should start to ease. Use the jaw-motion instructions you were given. Do not force a wide opening.
• First weeks: opening usually improves gradually. Desk work is often possible within a few days. Chewing stays soft until Dr. Curtis says otherwise.

Call us if

• You cannot close your teeth together, or the jaw locks and will not release
• Swelling, fever, or pain is worse after the third day
• There is new numbness of the lip or difficulty swallowing
• Bleeding or fluid from the ear canal is new

There is no separate TMJ instruction PDF. If you have surgery, you leave with written instructions for that operation.

An examination is not the same fee as a joint operation. A splint is often made by your dentist and billed there. Imaging, sedation, and the type of procedure, if surgery is actually indicated, are what move an estimate.

What changes the fee is the work itself: whether grafting is needed, which anesthesia is used, the type of restoration your dentist will make, and whether new imaging is required. Dr. Curtis gives an estimate at the consultation, after the exam. This website does not list prices.

The office takes most PPO dental plans. The current in-network list is on patient info. Call (561) 833-6880 if you want to ask about a plan before you come in.