What is TMJ?
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint and refers to disorders of the jaws and the way they function. It can be very painful and, if left untreated, can be potentially dangerous to your health, causing headaches, difficulty sleeping, tooth soreness, painful jaw joints and other associated problems.
Roseville dental office, Fountains Dental Excellence, conveniently located near Folsom, Lincoln, Rocklin, Granite Bay and Sacramento, treats TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) primarily with non-surgical alternatives. Temporomandibular disorders come in many forms and varying degrees of severity. TMD should be treated, especially when you have a problem with pain and/or loss of full jaw function. Pain can range from a mild ache in the morning to a chronic, debilitating pain. Loss of jaw function can range from mild jaw stiffness to an inability to open the jaw.
Symptoms and Signs of TMD
Schedule an appointment with us if you regularly experience any of these symptoms:
- Stiffness or pain in your jaw or in the jaw joint in front of your ears
- Headaches, especially at the temples and side of the head
- Sore teeth or toothaches which move around the mouth
- Sensitive teeth
- Difficulty opening your jaw
- Discomfort when eating hard or chewy foods
- Clicking, popping or grinding sound in your jaw joint
- Ear pain that is not related to an ear infection
- Upper neck tension and pain
- Wearing down of your teeth
- Grinding and/or clenching teeth while sleeping or awake
- A pattern of breaking or cracking teeth with no traumatic cause
- A history of medically-diagnosed migraine headaches
Migraine Headache and TMJ Therapy
Millions of Americans suffer with tension and/or migraine headaches, as well as tooth damage due to involuntary grinding of their teeth and clenching their jaws. In most cases, overactive muscular functioning is the cause. The muscles that open and close your mouth can wear down your teeth and lead to headaches in the frontal and temporal areas of your head. Pain can also develop in the jaw and neck regions. If left untreated, acute tooth damage and problems with your TMJ can be the result.
An especially good therapy for TMJ is an NTI device. Recently approved by the FDA for tension migraine headache therapy, the NTI device stops pain while simultaneously protecting your teeth from excessive wear. It’s worn only at night and is a very small appliance that is custom-fit to go over two of your front teeth. The NTI works by preventing contact of your back teeth, therefore, helping the bones and tissues in the TMJ to rest in the most stable position. For severe cases, there are modified NTI devices available for daytime treatment.
Fountains Dental Excellence designs personalized TMJ Treatment plans for patients in a comfortable and convenient setting. Our philosophy of treatment is to do the most conservative and reversible treatments first. Irreversible treatments, such as surgery or orthodontics, are considered only if conservative steps fail to bring lasting relief. Most of our patients respond well to simpler care. If treated early enough, TMD symptoms can subside, eliminating many years of discomfort and expensive dental procedures.
Call us today at 916-780-3000 to learn about our proven TMD treatments. We can help eliminate your discomfort!
