TMJ Therapy – Denton, TX
Relieving Jaw Pain
Do you feel consistent pain in your jaw? If you said yes, you’re not alone. At any given time, it is estimated that 12 percent of people in the United States have a TMJ disorder. That’s about 39 million people experiencing problems with their jaw joint. Are you one of them? Luckily, here at Denton Dental Center, we are equipped to help you overcome these problems. Dr. Todd Balington and our compassionate, experienced team can get you back to full health and function again.
What is TMJ disorder?
Dr. Todd Balington The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to your skull, and you have one joint on each side of your jaw in front of your ear. Its motions back and forth, side to side, and up and down allow you to chew and talk efficiently. But this little joint can cause problems if something doesn’t work quite right with it. A TMJ disorder can lead to pain in this joint and in the muscles that help control jaw movement, making regular functions more difficult.
What are the symptoms of TMJ disorder?
Some of the symptoms of TMJ disorder are clearer than others. These symptoms include the following:
- Pain or tenderness in the jaw.
- Pain in one or both of the joints.
- Pain in or around the ear.
- A clicking sound when you move your jaw.
- Difficulty or pain while chewing.
- Facial pain.
- Difficulty opening or closing your mouth because the joint locks.
If you hear a clicking sound when you move your jaw but do not experience any pain, you probably don’t need to seek treatment.
What are the causes of TMJ disorder?
Although determining the exact causes of TMJ disorder in each case can often be difficult, several things may contribute or lead to TMJ disorder, including:
- Physical injury.
- Clenching or grinding your teeth, particularly during sleep (called bruxism).
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Dental surgery.
How do you treat TMJ disorder?
Most of the time, pain and discomfort in the TMJ is temporary and can be relieved through conservative methods, often at home on your own. Making simple lifestyle and self-care changes, such as the following may be enough to address your symptoms:
- Avoiding chewing gum.
- Eating softer foods.
- Avoiding clenching your jaw.
- Applying ice or moist heat.
If symptoms persist after a couple of months, make an appointment with us. Dr. Balington can evaluate your bite and talk to you about your symptoms and get you the help you need to relieve your pain. For example, if your TMJ disorder is caused by grinding your teeth while you sleep, we can provide a mouth guard that prevents this from happening and causing damage to your teeth and jaw. It may be a matter of correcting your bite alignment, which we can treat through occlusal adjustment.
At Denton Dental Center, we’re committed to improving the oral health of our patients. You don’t have to suffer if your jaw is causing you pain. We look forward to helping you manage your TMJ disorder and easing your discomfort. Contact us for an appointment today!
TMJ Treatment FAQs
Can TMJ Be Cured Permanently?
In many circumstances, the acute symptoms of TMJ disorder are caused by lifestyle choices you’re making, like chewing gum or clenching your teeth. If you avoid these factors, you should see the symptoms of your TMJ disorder go away on their own.
In some cases, occlusal adjustment may be necessary to completely address the symptoms of your TMJ disorder. By changing the way that your teeth fit together, it will be possible to permanently “cure” you of the condition.
How Long Does Occlusal Adjustment Take for TMJ?
What occlusal adjustment will look like for you depends on the nature of your condition. The number of appointments with your dentist that you need to completely address your issues can vary, but most people will see their condition improve after 1-3 appointments. Moreover, these sessions should be fairly brief, often no more than an hour or two.
Once the full course of treatments has been completed, you should feel better pretty quickly afterward.
Can TMJ Be Treated Without Surgery?
Typically, we try to pursue the most conservative option available when it comes to helping patients with their TMJ disorder. In many cases, this simply involves making better lifestyle choices that put less pressure on your jaw. Many patients with TMJ also tend to grind their teeth, which can exacerbate their condition; in such situations, we might craft you a mouthguard that you can wear at night.
These non-invasive, non-surgical options can make a large difference in how you feel and the severity of your TMJ symptoms. Typically, they make it possible to address your symptoms without the need for surgery.
Does Occlusal Adjustment for TMJ Hurt?
No matter what your occlusal adjustment entails, we will make it a point to ensure you’re completely comfortable throughout every step of the process. When you come to us for any kind of even remotely invasive procedure, we’ll be sure to numb your mouth before the procedure begins, which makes the removal of enamel a painless process.
We might also be able to simply add composite resin to the teeth in order to complete the occlusal adjustment, which means that there’s no need to be concerned about discomfort at all. In either case, you can rest assured that your occlusal adjustment isn’t going to hurt.