TMJ is known a temporomandibular joint disorder affecting the joint that connects the upper and lower jaw. This is the condition involved in joints, muscles and teeth involved in jaw movement. It could be related to one or all components when it is not working harmoniously or in sync or the chewing system is not properly aligned causing a variety of uncomfortable and pain symptoms. Discomfort would include:
If you grind your teeth under stress, when doing strenuous exercise, or if your natural bite is off due to missing teeth resulting in grinding teeth at night, can result in pain developing associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
A dentist or ENT doctor can diagnose TMJ. They can check for tenderness and swelling, clicking or popping around the TMJ area or facial pain. We can take x-rays or take an impression to see how the bite fits together.
Sometimes the condition can be cured or just controlled. It can be treated using noninvasive and simple techniques.
Sometimes it can lead to: 1) Someone adapting to the pain and learning to live with it taking painkillers. 2) It can lead to addictions to some medications from taking them due to constant pain. 3) It can cause sleep disturbances and insomnia. 4) It can cause poor nutritional status due to poor dietary intake and poor quality of life.
Prevention is the key – when you come for your routine checkup we will suggest you have a new patient exam where we go through and make sure every tooth is checked, the gums and roots are also checked and we also take an impression to check the bite to make sure there are no grinding issues. We have all the necessary equipment to ensure any joint issues are addressed.
1) JVA – which is a 5 second joint vibration analysis tool 2) 3-D jaw tracker – which shows movement of the jaw 3) CBCT – which shows the conditions of the jaw joints and used for virtual implants 4) T-Scan – which shows the force of your bite and how teeth come together 5) MLS Laser – helps in muscle treatment, bite registration and relieve pain instantly. If you have TMJ we have the expertise to make an appliance for you to prevent further deterioration of your dental status and maybe help reverse some of the symptoms. Checkout the testimonials page and see some of the outstanding results we have.