Jaw & TMJ
Jaw pain in Greenwich, CT: usually the muscles, not the joint
Most of the jaw pain we see is muscular and related to overload. That matters, because muscular problems generally respond well to conservative treatment rather than anything irreversible.
How urgent is it?
Within a few days
Sooner if your jaw has locked open or will not open more than an inch or two. That is not a symptom to wait out.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
Clenching and grinding
Muscles held tight for hours become sore for the same reason any overworked muscle does. Morning headaches and tender temples are often the giveaway.
02
A bite that does not meet evenly
A new crown or filling that sits slightly too high, or teeth that have drifted over time, makes the muscles work to find a comfortable position.
03
Displacement of the joint disc
The click you hear as you open is often the disc shifting slightly. Clicking without pain frequently needs no treatment at all.
04
Stress and posture
Not a diagnosis of last resort, but a genuine contributor, which is why symptoms often track your most demanding weeks.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Eat soft food, cut small, for about a week. Resting the muscle is the single most effective thing available to you right now.
- 02
Apply a warm compress to the sides of the jaw for ten minutes, twice a day.
- 03
Stop chewing gum, stop biting your nails, and try to catch yourself clenching at the screen.
- 04
Avoid opening wide at the dentist or the hairdresser without mentioning that you need breaks.
What we would do
At the appointment
We examine the joints and the muscles, check how your teeth actually meet, and look for the wear pattern that would confirm grinding.
Treatment starts conservatively and reversibly: a custom night guard made to fit properly, and sometimes a small bite adjustment where one tooth is taking on too much load.
If symptoms persist, physical therapy for the jaw helps a great deal, and we will refer you for that. We do not begin by rebuilding teeth to treat a joint problem.
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
Usually not. Painless clicking that does not restrict opening is very common and is best monitored rather than treated right away.
A boil-and-bite guard sometimes helps and sometimes makes things worse, because it changes how the teeth meet in an uncontrolled way. A guard made from your own impressions is designed specifically around your bite.
They can be. Headaches on waking, tender temples, and flattened teeth together make grinding a strong candidate, and that is checkable in a single appointment.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
People often ask about these too
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.