TMJ

What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, involves problems with your jaw hinge joint, or your temporomandibular joint. This important joint connects your skull bones and your jaw, allowing you to chew your food, talk, yawn, and move your jaw.

What causes TMJ?

It isn’t always clear what causes TMJ and several factors might play a role, such as:

• Arthritis
• Inflammation from certain medical conditions
• Accident, trauma, or injury to your jaw, neck (whiplash), or head

The condition might be linked to jawbone or muscle complications.

If you clench your jaws or grind your teeth due to stress or anxiety, this can tighten the jaw and facial muscles and cause or worsen TMJ. 

Without treatment, TMJ can lead to more serious complications, such as tumors in the jaw area, scar tissue, bone damage, and bone death.

How do I know if I have TMJ?

If you have TMJ, you probably have the hallmark symptom of soreness, discomfort, and moderate to severe pain in your jaw area. You might also have other symptoms, such as: 

• Locked jaw
• Difficulty chewing
• Tinnitus and trouble hearing
• Pain and tenderness in the neck, shoulders, and ears
• Toothaches
• Earaches and headaches
• Dizziness and vision problems
• Trouble opening your mouth wide
• Grating, clicking, or popping sounds when you move your jaw hinge joint 

You might also have facial swelling around your jaw area.

How is TMJ treated?

TMJ might affect the alignment of your lower jaw joints. Your WPD Dental Group dentist performs a thorough examination of your symptoms and jaw movements and might suggest X-rays or other imaging scans to produce detailed images of your jaw joints. 

WPD Dental Group offers a range of treatments for TMJ, including:

• Manual jaw exercises and jaw manipulation
• Healthy lifestyle changes, such as nutrition tips and stress management tips
• Custom orthopedic mouthguards and occlusal splints
• Medications, such as anti-inflammatories

Your dentist might recommend a splint or night guard to prevent nighttime or daytime teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

Your dentist can fix an uneven bite using impressions and a custom-made orthopedic nightguard. In some cases, they might suggest dental work, which usually involves replacing missing teeth and dental treatments like crowns, bridges, or braces.

These effective treatments are specially designed to enhance your smile, balance your biting surfaces, protect your oral health, and more. 

Don’t let TMJ put your dental health at risk and cause you jaw pain, headaches, and other symptoms and problems. WPD Dental Group has solutions. Book online or over the phone today.