TMJ or Temporomandibular Disorders
Headaches, muscle aches, popping or clicking in the jaw joints, pain in the head, neck, shoulders and back, dizziness, earaches, ringing in the ears… If any of theses symptoms sound familiar, you may be suffering from a condition known as TMD or Temporomandibular Disorder. In the past, this condition was known as TMJ or TMJ Disorder. Little was known about this condition and so the symptoms were treated individually as they occurred. Now, with greater understanding of the temporomandibular joint or TMJ, and treatment options, it is possible to alleviate the pain and breakdown associated with TMD by treating the actual problem.
TMD is a condition commonly caused from improper alignment of your teeth in relation to one another and /or the TMJ. When your teeth are misaligned in this way it is common to clench and grind your teeth, usually in your sleep. Clenching and grinding causes excess force which can lead to tooth wear, gum recession and stress on the muscles and tendons of the face and jaw. Left untreated, TMD may lead to pain and deterioration of the jaw joints, further excess wear of your teeth, early destruction of dental work, and acceleration of periodontal disease.
TMD syndrome can grow progressively worse. What might seem like a small annoyance or a minor discomfort now can become a great source of pain and tooth damage as further deterioration of your joint and teeth occurs. To properly prescribe treatment, a proper evaluation is necessary, our 25 point comprehensive evaluation is the place to start. Part of the Comprehensive Evaluation involves fabricating precision models of your mouth and taking a series of measurements to precisely reproduce the movement of your jaw on a three dimensional jaw movement simulator. These models help provide a full understanding of the relationship of your teeth and joints, without interference from reflexes and muscles accommodating the fit of your teeth.
Depending on the extent of the problem Xrays, a 3-Dimensional CT Scan, or MRI may be taken to provide a picture of your anatomy and show signs of disease in your jaw joint. A jaw repositioning splint may be made for you to allow your jaw to return to a neutral position providing initial relief of bite imbalance and pain and most importantly providing a stable, verifiable jaw position to provide future stability. While these repositioning splints are highly successful in our practice we find that most of these devices don’t work because they are not properly utilized or adjusted.
Once the initial treatment is completed, a personalized treatment plan to restore long term health is developed. Long term correction of your bite may include reshaping teeth, orthodontics, or restorative procedures such as crowns or veneers and other bonded porcelain restorations. In our office all potential treatment is designed outside your mouth and analyzed on the jaw movement simulator and discussed with you before treatment is started. Long term restorations are fabricated much the same way allowing for accurate placement, fit and function of your new restorations and reducing the amount of time you spend in the dental chair.
Your reward for individualized treatment of TMD is comfortable, restored oral health with proper fit and function. Our reward is your renewed smile as you are relieved from further damage and discomfort. Like other optimal dental care our 25-step comprehensive evaluation process is the first and most important stage in the discovery process. Contact us to inquire if we can help you with your TMJ problem.