TMJ Therapy
Surprise, AZ
Your TMJ, or your temporomandibular joint, is what connects your skull and your jawbone together. This joint is used each time you chew, speak, yawn, and stretch. Most of the time, you don’t have any problem or issues with your TMJ, but sometimes, the joint gets inflamed, causing pain and discomfort with even minimal use. If you have noticed that your TMJ is sore, come in and see us here at Surprise Smiles. We’ll look into what may be causing your pain, then we can help figure out how to treat it.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorders
There are many different symptoms that you may experience with a TMJ disorder. Some of the symptoms may only last for a little while, whereas some of your symptoms may persist for years. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you need to come in and see us so we can help figure out how to relieve your pain.
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Pain that radiates around your face or your jaw area, or it could even spread down to your neck and shoulder areas, typically when you chew, yawn, or open your mouth really wide.
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A jaw that locks either open or closed and refuses to move for extended periods of time.
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Noises in your jaw when you use it, such as grinding, clicking, and popping noises.
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A feeling in your jaw that your upper and lower arches no longer fit together right when you bite down.
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Swelling around your jaw area. |
Causes of TMJ Disorders
Some of the causes of a TMJ disorder are easy to pinpoint, such as following an injury. Other causes are much more elusive. The best way to come in and have us look around. Once the cause is narrowed down, we can find the best treatment options for your situation. Some causes of pain in your TMJ include arthritis, stress, clenching or grinding your teeth, and movement of the small disc that sits within the joint as a cushion.
Treating TMJ Disorders
There are a few different treatment options, and they vary depending on how severe your disorder is. You may find relief from simply taking some over the counter anti-inflammatories or eating a softer diet for a short period of time. However, for those with a more advanced TMJ disorder, you may only find relief by opting for dental procedures that have been shown to help. We may suggest that you wear a night guard while you sleep to help hold your jaw in a better position, or we may suggest medication to help your jaw relax. If your pain comes from an imbalanced bite, we may even need to perform other work to balance out how you bite down.
The only way to know how to best treat your TMJ pain is to come in and speak with us. David Frausto, DDS will look at your jaw and your teeth to help determine the cause of your pain. Then, all of us here at Surprise Smiles will help you find the perfect treatment to help alleviate your pain.
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