Principal, Apollo College of Physiotherapy, Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundations, Apollo Health City, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad
Physical therapy plays an important part in the conservative management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) following dental procedures, post-operative dental or maxilla-facial surgeries. The pain may be felt in the temporomandibular regions, head, neck and shoulders, and interferes with mouth opening(trismus) which impairs oral hygiene, usage of dentures, eating, laughing, yawning, sneezing, talking and facial expressions.
The physiotherapy interventions of thermo therapy, exercises and use of TMJ mouth opening devices are clinically proven to facilitate mouth opening, decreasing pain and improving body posture.
Hence the interdisciplinary work between the physiotherapist and the dentist helps in effective management of TMD.
Temporomandibular joint, trismus, physicaltherapy, mouth opening devices
