TMJ DISORDER

Treatment Options for TMJ Disorder

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, better known as “TMJ disorder” or “TMJD” is a painful condition that can make it difficult to get through your day without headaches or jaw pain. Being that the TMJ is responsible for thousands of movements of the mandible each and every day, misuse or damage to the tissues in and around the joint can cause complex problems to develop.

Treatment Option of TMJ:• Splint Therapy - Overuse of the jaw joint caused by bruxism (grinding) or clenching can cause unnecessary muscle strain.

• Orthodontics - One of the most effective ways to stop and prevent this excessive wear and tear is to correct the alignment of the teeth through orthodontics.• Medication - More severe types of TMJ disorders may require the use of prescription muscle relaxers, although it is not very common and should only be used temporarily. 

• Surgery - In very rare circumstances, severe forms of TMJ disorder may require surgery. This is usually looked at as a last resort, as surgical procedures cannot be reversed and may not provide full pain relief.

SYMPTOMS OF TMJ DISORDERSTMJD (TMJ Disorder) can cause many uncomfortable conditions that make everyday life difficult. You may or may not know that these conditions are linked to TMJ disorders at all. In fact, some of those conditions may actually be causing the TMJ problems to begin with.

• Headaches and Muscle Pain

• Clenching and Grinding

• Worn, Misaligned Teeth

• Popping and Clicking of the Jaw

What causes TMJ disorder?

Typically the condition is linked with chronic wear, overuse, and atypical function of the joint. This can be caused by anything from bruxism (clenching and grinding) to misaligned teeth. If the teeth do not bite together properly, the joint must alter its natural movements to perform simple functions like biting and chewing. Or, if the joint is overused, the strain of muscles around it creates symptoms of joint disorder.

Temporomandibular joint disorder, is also known as “TMJD” or “TMJ disorder.” It is a condition that is directly associated with the jaw joint, but can impact more than you might realize. Symptoms of the condition include everything from popping of the joint, headaches, and muscle pain that radiates through the neck, shoulders and back.

You may notice problems like:

• Side to side deviation as you open and close your mouth

• Headaches when you wake up in the morning

• Sharp muscle pain through the face, neck, or even the pack

• Pain, popping, clicking or locking of the TMJ when opening and closing

TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ) DISORDERS

Eliminate the Pain in Your Jaw

Everyday we put our mouth and jaw through a workout, just with the normal routines of eating, chewing, swallowing and talking. All of these activies would be impossible without the ball-and-socket joint that joins your lower jaw to your skull. The official name for

this spot is the temporomandibular joint, but since just saying that word puts stress on it, we’ll use the term TMJ.

Get your mouth and jaw back in working order by contacting the dentists at Marconi Dental

Group right away.

MARCONI DENTAL GROUP

4350 Marconi Avenue, Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 95821Phone: (916) 589-6462