Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are rarely simple or straightforward. Then again, the term covers a wide range of problems that can involve the two temporomandibular joints (TMJs), one on either side of the head.
These joints are constantly at work. They guide chewing, speaking, swallowing, and clenching. When they work as they should, we hardly notice them. When they don’t, they can affect everything from jaw comfort to your ability to easily eat, drink, and talk; from your ability to focus to your overall well-being.
For some patients, a TMD is mainly muscular. For others, inflammation or degeneration within the joints themselves plays a larger role. For many, it’s a combination: structural strain layered with stress, airway factors, bite forces, and years of compensatory habits.
That’s why there’s no single solution for TMD symptoms. For long-term relief, a combination of therapies is typically needed.
Here in our Laguna Hills clinic, we now have more than a half dozen different therapies that we can combine in different ways to treat different manifestations of TMD. These include therapeutic exercises, stress reduction strategies, ultrasound therapy, custom oral appliances, myofascial trigger point therapy, photobiomodulation (low-level laser treatment), and Botox injections to calm overactive chewing muscles.
And now we can add another option to the list: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for the jaw joints.
Note that the TMJs are among the most frequently used joints in your body. Every day, they absorb a tremendous amount of repetitive mechanical force. In some patients – particularly those with degenerative joint changes or chronic inflammation – the tissues within the joints can become irritated and less resilient over time. This can contribute to pain, clicking or popping sounds, stiffness, or limited opening.
This is when PRP may prove itself helpful.
Platelet-rich plasma is made by simply spinning a small sample of your own blood in a special centrifuge so it separates into three layers: platelet-poor plasma on top, platelet-rich plasma in the middle, and red blood cells at the very bottom. Those platelets are the key. When activated, they release signaling molecules such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor–beta (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This stimulates new tissue growth, reduces inflammation, promotes collagen production, and encourages blood vessel formation in damaged tissue.
Ultimately, what we’re doing with PRP injections is creating a biological environment more conducive to healing. Rather than just suppressing inflammation, PRP aims to support the body’s own repair processes within the joint capsule, cartilage interface, and surrounding connective tissues.
This is why PRP is often placed within the broader field of regenerative medicine – therapies designed to work with the body’s biology rather than override it. And as interest in this field has grown, so has research specific to TMD. While we don’t yet have much long-term data, recent studies have been encouraging, particularly for patients with degenerative or inflammatory joint changes.
One randomized controlled trial from 2023, for instance, compared PRP injections with injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) in patients with TMJ osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid is similar to the natural joint fluid that helps with lubrication and shock absorption. It’s long been used in orthopedics to support arthritic joints.
While both groups improved through a 6-month follow-up period, the improvements were greater for those who got PRP. These included pain reduction, greater mouth opening ability, and reduced TMJ sounds. And “compared with the HA group,” the authors noted, “imaging improvement in the PRP group was also higher.”
Other studies have looked at how combining both substances – PRP and HA – might enhance outcomes. A 2024 systematic review of studies on combined injections reported meaningful improvement in both pain and joint function. At least in certain cases, it appeared that biologic stimulation (PRP) and improved joint lubrication (HA) could work synergistically to deliver “quantitatively superior” results than using either substance alone.
Broader reviews of multiple randomized trials – such as this and this – similarly conclude that PRP appears to reduce joint pain and improve maximum mouth opening for many patients with degenerative TMJ conditions, even while noting variation in techniques and protocols.
Most of the time, PRP injections into the jaw joints are often given two or three times, with about a month or so between shots. This allows for progressive healing and evaluation of the patient’s response. Careful technique, using advanced imaging when appropriate, helps support accurate placement of each injection. In some cases, HA may be used alongside PRP to enhance healing.
PRP therapy is inherently biocompatible, since the plasma comes from your own blood. It’s also low risk, though there may be some temporary soreness or swelling right after the procedure.
All together, the emerging evidence suggests that PRP may offer a biologically sound and clinically meaningful option for carefully selected patients — especially when part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
If you want to find out if it might be right for you, just give us a call. We’d love to meet you and see how we may be able to help you finally get real relief from your TMJ issues.