Dental Treatments

TMJ Therapy & Myofascial Pain Treatment

Specialized care for jaw pain, facial pain, headaches and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

Lasting Relief from Jaw Pain & TMJ Disorders

Chronic jaw pain, facial tension, clicking joints and unexplained headaches can quietly erode your quality of life. These are often signs of a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder or myofascial pain — conditions that affect the muscles, joints and nerves responsible for everything you do with your mouth, from speaking and chewing to simply resting your jaw.

At Sargon Dental in Encino and West Hollywood, we take a comprehensive, root-cause approach to diagnosing and treating TMJ disorders and myofascial pain. Dr. Sargon Lazarof completed postgraduate study of temporomandibular joint disease at the TMJ Research Foundation, giving our practice a uniquely deep understanding of how the jaw joint, bite and facial muscles work together — and how to bring them back into balance.

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Understanding the Temporomandibular Joint

The temporomandibular joints are the two small, complex hinge joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull, just in front of each ear. They let your jaw move up and down, side to side, and forward and back. Because you use them thousands of times a day, even a small imbalance in the joint, the surrounding muscles or your bite can lead to pain and dysfunction — a group of conditions known together as temporomandibular disorders, or TMD.

A healthy joint depends on a delicate coordination between the joint itself, a cushioning disc inside it, the chewing muscles, and the way your upper and lower teeth fit together. When any one of these is strained or misaligned, the result can be pain, limited movement and a cascade of symptoms that often reach well beyond the jaw.

Signs & Symptoms of a TMJ Disorder

TMJ disorders can be surprisingly far-reaching, and many patients suffer for years without realizing their jaw is the source. Common signs include:

Jaw pain, soreness or tenderness — often worst in the morning
Clicking, popping or grating sounds when opening or closing
A jaw that locks, catches or feels stuck
Frequent tension headaches or migraines
Facial pain and pressure around the cheeks and temples
Earaches, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or a feeling of fullness
Neck, shoulder and upper-back tension
Pain or difficulty chewing, yawning or speaking
Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism)
Worn, chipped or unusually sensitive teeth

What Is Myofascial Pain?

Myofascial pain is one of the most common forms of TMJ-related discomfort. “Myo” refers to muscle and “fascial” to the fascia — the thin connective tissue that wraps around your muscles. Myofascial pain develops when the muscles of the face, jaw and neck become overworked, fatigued or chronically tense, forming sensitive knots called trigger points.

These trigger points can refer pain to other areas, which is why a problem rooted in the jaw muscles may be felt as a headache, an earache, or pain in the temple, cheek or neck. Stress, clenching, poor posture and an unbalanced bite are frequent contributors. Because the pain is diffuse and tends to “travel,” myofascial pain is often misdiagnosed — and lasting relief depends on identifying and releasing the underlying muscular triggers, not simply masking the symptoms.

Common Causes of TMJ & Myofascial Pain

TMJ disorders rarely have a single cause. More often, several factors combine to overload the joint and muscles:

Teeth grinding and clenching, often during sleep
Chronic stress and muscle tension
A misaligned bite or uneven tooth wear
Injury or trauma to the jaw, head or neck
Arthritis or degeneration within the joint
Displacement of the cushioning joint disc
Poor head, neck and shoulder posture
Missing teeth that change how the jaw closes

How We Diagnose TMJ Disorders

Effective treatment begins with an accurate diagnosis. During your evaluation we take a detailed history of your symptoms and lifestyle, then examine the joints, chewing muscles and bite — listening and feeling for clicking, tenderness and restricted movement. We assess how your teeth come together, look for signs of grinding, and use advanced imaging when needed to view the joint and surrounding structures.

Because TMJ pain can mimic and overlap with other conditions, this whole-system assessment lets us pinpoint whether your discomfort stems mainly from the joint, the muscles (myofascial pain), the bite, or a combination — so your treatment targets the real source.

Our TMJ Therapy & Treatment Options

TMJ care should always be tailored to the individual and begin with the most conservative, non-invasive options. We design a personalized plan that may combine several of the following:

Custom Oral Appliances (Splints & Nightguards)

Precision-fitted oral appliances are the cornerstone of TMJ therapy. A custom splint or nightguard gently repositions the jaw, relieves pressure on the joint, and protects your teeth from the destructive forces of grinding and clenching — often delivering meaningful relief within weeks.

Bite (Occlusal) Therapy

When an uneven bite is straining the joint and muscles, we can carefully refine how your teeth meet so the forces of chewing are evenly distributed, removing a common underlying driver of TMJ pain.

Trigger-Point & Myofascial Release

For myofascial pain, targeted muscle therapy and, where appropriate, trigger-point treatment help release the tight knots that refer pain through the face, head and neck.

Therapeutic Botox

For patients with severe clenching or persistent muscle pain, therapeutic neuromodulator (Botox) injections can relax overactive jaw muscles, easing tension, headaches and joint strain.

Physical Therapy & At-Home Care

Guided jaw exercises, stretches, posture correction, moist heat and stress-management strategies support healing and help prevent flare-ups between visits.

Restorative & Full-Mouth Solutions

When missing, worn or misaligned teeth are at the root of the problem, restorative dentistry — including crowns, implants or a full-mouth reconstruction — can rebuild a stable, balanced bite for lasting relief.

Why Choose Sargon Dental for TMJ Therapy

Treating TMJ disorders well requires a deep understanding of the joint, the muscles and the bite working together — exactly the expertise our practice was built on. Dr. Sargon Lazarof pursued postgraduate study of temporomandibular joint disease at the TMJ Research Foundation, and brings more than three decades of experience in implantology, full-mouth reconstruction and bite rehabilitation to every TMJ case.

Our multilingual team in Encino and West Hollywood pairs this clinical depth with a genuinely compassionate, patient-first approach — so we don’t just chase symptoms, we find and resolve the source of your pain.

FAQ

TMJ Therapy Questions

Is TMJ pain permanent?

For the great majority of patients, no. With an accurate diagnosis and the right combination of conservative therapies, TMJ and myofascial pain can be significantly reduced or fully resolved. Earlier treatment generally leads to faster, more complete relief.

Will I need surgery for my TMJ?

Rarely. The overwhelming majority of TMJ disorders respond well to non-surgical care such as custom oral appliances, bite therapy and muscle treatment. Surgery is reserved for a small number of advanced structural cases.

Can a drugstore nightguard fix my TMJ?

Over-the-counter guards may offer minor protection but aren’t fitted to your bite and can sometimes make symptoms worse. A custom appliance designed for your specific joint and bite is far more effective and comfortable.

How soon will I feel better?

Many patients notice meaningful relief within a few weeks of starting therapy, though the full plan and timeline depend on the cause and severity of your condition.

Ready to End Your Jaw Pain?

Schedule a TMJ consultation and let's find and resolve the source of your discomfort.

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