The purpose of these exercises is to prevent clicking of your jaw joint and to strengthen the muscles which pull your jaw backwards. This will relax the muscles which close your mouth, as well as the muscles which pull your jaw forward and from side to side. Your jaw will act more like a hinge and this will take the strain off it.

Masseter Release Exercise Step By Step Instructions

This is the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea with a specified jaw exercise we’d like to instruct you on today. Please remember these exercises that we discuss are best when they are given and instructed by a doctor, and if the exercises elicit more discomfort for any reason, please stop them and contact your doctor’s office.

This particular exercise we’re going to speak about today is called the masseter release exercise. This exercise can directly help with the reduction of muscle hyperactivity. Many jaw joint disorder patients suffer from facial pain.

To begin, we are going to place your pointer finger on the outside of your teeth inside of your mouth. You’re going to make a scooping motion back until you touch the bone. You slide your finger then outward, holding the tissue gently as she is doing there, between your finger and your thumb. There’s a nodule back there. You can feel it right when you get to that bone. You slide your finger off that, and there’s a chunk of meat, a chunk of bone and muscle there. Then slide your fingers up and down very gently until a tender spot is found. She has found one that appears more on the deep masseter, the more superior portion of that muscle. She is now going to hold that area for approximately 60 seconds very, very lightly, and this is only to be done as needed. There are no three or four, or five times daily.

This is an as-needed exercise, and of course, you can also perform this anywhere intraorally on the left side as well. Please rest, and thank you very much.

Hi, this is the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea, and we would like to show you a jaw-strengthening exercise today. Please remember these exercises are to be instructed by a doctor, and when you perform this exercise, if any pain increase comes up, please stop those exercises and get re-advised by your doctor.

The exercise we’re going to review today is called the protrusive movement exercise. The primary goal of this exercise is to increase mobility within the jaw joints and allow you to come forward with your mandible (your lower jaw) more comfortably. What you’re going to do first is move your lower jaw out nearly as far as it can go. Now she’s going to turn to elicit how far you should go. That is not her maximum protrusion; it is nearly her maximum protrusion. She holds it for five seconds and now rests.

We are going to do this again. Move your lower jaw out nearly as far as it can go. Please hold five, four, three, two, one, and rest. And one more time. Please take a nice swallow, move your lower jaw out nearly as far as it can go, and we’re going to hold it five, four, three, two, one.  You can now rest.

This is to be done approximately 20 times a day. Thank you.

Tongue at Roof of Mouth Exercise Step By Step Instructions

Hi, this is the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea, and we would like to take a moment to show you a jaw-strengthening exercise. Just a few reminders, this exercise is to be instructed by a doctor, and if any of your symptoms increase while performing this exercise, please stop and contact the doctor’s office.

The first exercise we’re going to review is the tongue of the roof of the mouth exercise. The primary goal of this exercise is to increase mobility within the jaw joints. So just to keep things flowing, first, we’re going to zoom in, and you’re going to place your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Excellent. You’re going to open nearly as wide as you can while keeping your tongue in that place, and you’re going to hold it for five seconds. One, two, three, four, five. Please rest now. In the exact same motion, you’re opening your mouth, keeping your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Let’s try that again and one, two, three, four, five. Close and rest. Again, one, two, three, four, five. You can rest.

You are to hold for 5-second increments. Please do this 20 times daily. Thank you.

Tongue Depressor Exercise Step By Step Instructions

Hi, This is the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea. We wanted to spend some time going over jaw exercises with you. We also wanted to mention that these exercises should be instructed by a doctor. If at any time these exercises elicit more discomfort or pain, please stop them right away and contact your doctor.

The first exercise we are going to perform is the tongue depressor exercise. This exercise has many goals, but the main ones are to reduce judgment noises and discomfort. But even more importantly, to help increase your range of motion.

The first thing you’re going to do is place the provided tongue depressor between your upper and lower front teeth. Holding each end with your fingers, you will then slide your lower jaw forward as much as possible. Then keeping it forward, you will slide your jaw to the right as far as you can. Then you’re going to, in that position, pull down on the stick, opening your mouth slowly. And then make the same forward motion, close and go left as much as you can, and then down on the stick while putting a little bit of pressure. Excellent, please rest.

You will now add a second stick. Place both provided tongue depressors between your upper and lower front teeth. Again, holding each end with your fingers, you will then slide your lower jaw forward as far as possible, then slowly slide your lower jaw to your right while pulling downward on the sticks. Excellent. Go back to your center position and make the same motion. Forward and to your left all the way, keeping it sliding on the stick. And now, downward and rest. Remove the sticks, please.

You will continue this and work your way up to five tongue depressor sticks.

Tongue Sweep Exercise Step By Step Instructions

Hi, this is the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea. We would like to take a little time and explain an exercise to you with the goal of reducing intraoral muscle fatigue and tightness. Please remember this exercise is best when it is instructed by a doctor. If you have any increased pain symptoms whatsoever, please stop the exercise and get re-advised by your doctor.

This exercise is called the tongue sweep. The patient is going to place the tip of their tongue underneath their lip at the midline. You are then going to make a half circle moving down toward the right, toward the lower lip. Then on the same side, trace this up and down. She ends at the midline. Now, she’s going down. Go back to the top, and now she’s going to do it once more, ending again at the upper midline. She is now going to put the tip of her tongue on the inside of her right cheek. She’s going to move it in three circles in a clockwise direction. Again, this reduces the tightness that can last inside the mouth of a jaw joint disorder patient. After those three clockwise circles, she’s then going to make three counter-clockwise circles. When you are done, please rest and take a good swallow.

Next, we are going to do the same exercises but on her left side. So, she is going to begin with her tongue at the midline, underneath her upper lip. Please make a half circle moving downward to the left toward the lower lip or your lower midline. Then please trace up and down. That’s one time, two, and down. Excellent. Please take the tip of your tongue to the left inside of the cheek, and trace three very large clockwise turns. Then, when you’re completed with the three counterclockwise turns within the cheek, rest.

Each set should be completed three times daily. Thank you very much.