Jaw Massage

The most common question I get about Intra- oral work is “Why would anyone need massage inside their mouth?” To put it simply, to increase the health of the jaw muscles. If the muscles of the jaw are too tight it may cause a decrease in mobility of the jaw when eating, speaking and yawning, a “clicking” upon opening and closing the mouth and commonly morning jaw pain.

Tempromandibular joint dysfunction or TMJ dysfunction is a common cause of headaches and jaw pain and on occasion, ear stuffiness or loss of hearing. TMJ dysfunction may be brought on by dental procedures, grinding at night, clenching, chewing gum, stress or a facial injury, such as a punch or motor vehicle accident. The actual treatment of the TMJ Dysfunction is done by relaxing the external jaw muscles that include the temporalis, and the masseter, which are mainly responsible for the closing action of the lower jaw. As for the internal muscles, the medial and lateral pterygoid, are accessed between the cheek, upper jaw, lower jaw and the tongue.

Please be aware that latex or latex-free gloves are worn in all intra-oral work. The techniques used are quite gentle, although at times very intense. Many clients will report very sharp feelings or referral sensations into their face and teeth. Tearing of the eye is also common. Once the treatment is complete the jaw itself is said to feel very relaxed and less compressed. Also a decrease in clicking and a decreased tension related headaches may be noted.