Once referred to as TMJ after the joint that’s impacted, the painful condition Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction – now more often called TMD or TMJ disorder – impacts as much as a third of the United States, and millions have symptoms bad enough that they want treatment. Each San Diego Dentist Association member has an office staffed with a team who can help you with TMD and related jaw problems.
The temporomandibular joint is the fancy name for the jaw joint. Problems with this joint can impact facial nerves and tissue, causing debilitating headaches, severe jaw pain, teeth grinding, ear ringing and more. Many people with TMD have trouble getting a proper diagnosis of their condition and don’t even know that treatments are available.
TMJ disorders occur when something goes wrong with your jaw joints and jaw muscles
Yet symptoms of TMJ disorder may be severe and limit sufferers’ ability to get things done. When your San Diego dentist is treating TMJ disorder, the primary focus is on increasing your comfort by decreasing your symptoms so you can live a better life. They can test for this condition, formulate a treatment plan, address causes, reduce pain and let you get on with life.
Sufferers of TMD often report suffering from stress as well, and we recognize that times of stress make TMD worse. During stressful times, TMD pain may extend to the neck, cause dizziness and lead to a range of other symptoms that may not seem related to the jaw.
Among the most common causes of TMJ disorder is misaligned teeth, meaning the condition falls within a dentist’s domain to fix. Fixing the alignment issue can ease symptoms. Additionally, TMJ disorder can cause grinding of teeth during sleep that wears away tooth enamel and leads to serious teeth problems. When left untreated, the jawbone can begin to break down, eventually causing tooth loss. That’s why diagnosis and treatment of TMJ disorder are so crucial.
Treating TMJ Disorder
While bite problems are the most common cause of TMD, injury can also cause the disorder. Treating begins with an exam of the teeth, jaw and bite that includes digital x-rays as well as a medical history. Once diagnosed, several treatments are possible. One is a bite guard to protect teeth from teeth grinding. Your dentist may also discuss relaxation techniques with you to help reduce physical symptoms and the emotional stress that causes TMD. If necessary, muscle relaxants can be prescribed.
Your SDDA dentist may also recommend realignment, which improves the way the upper and lower teeth meet when biting and chewing.
If you have symptoms of TMJ disorder, please reach out to a San Diego Dentist Association member today to make an appointment. Each is there to help you feel better and provide treatment you can rely on.