TMJ Treatment
Athens, AL
 Conditions that affect the jaw joint and muscles can bring various complications, including pain and discomfort or dysfunction of the joint. TMD, which refers to temporomandibular joint disorder, is a collection of conditions that may affect the temporomandibular joint.
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is a hinge-like joint that connects the jaw with the skull. The TMJ moves the jaw up and down, left or right, and is active in chewing, talking, and even yawning.
Problems can occur in this joint, causing symptoms that are categorized under the term TMJ disorder (TMD). At Singing River Dentistry , we can provide solutions for TMD after performing an evaluation.
Our dentist and team may work closely with other healthcare professionals near Athens, AL to find out the most effective treatment for your TMD and its symptoms.
Request an Appointment
What is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?
TMD is a condition in which jaw misalignment leads to a number of symptoms. The symptoms occur due to pressure created on the facial nerves. The most affected nerve in a TMD is the trigeminal nerve.
It is responsible for the transmission of sensation to the sinuses, eyes, and jaw. This nerve also affects the muscles responsible for chewing. That is why people with TMD often experience difficulties in chewing. Besides, pressure on the nerve may lead to lockjaw.
Causes of TMD
Issues with jaw muscles, facial nerves, and jaw joints can bring about TMJ disorder.
Stress, arthritis, bruxism or chronic teeth grinding, and displacement of the disc found in the area between the socket and ball of the jaw joint can also lead to temporomandibular joint disorder. Trauma within the jaw is also another culprit for the disorder.
Who Needs TMJ Treatment?
If you are diagnosed with jaw misalignment, you are a candidate for temporomandibular joint disorder treatment.
TMD symptoms include grinding sounds when opening and shutting your mouth, pain and swelling within the jaw joint area, chronic headaches, or clicking and popping sounds.
If you display these kinds of symptoms, you should undergo an evaluation involving the neuromuscular components to see if TMJ treatment may help.
TMJ Treatment
Dentists treat TMJ issues differently since the symptoms and causes vary from one person to another.
Depending on the condition, our dentist and team will devise an appropriate treatment plan. Most of the treatments aim at restoring the proper alignment of the jaw.
You may receive restorative dental procedures such as replacement of missing teeth, application of bridges or crowns, and wearing braces to align the bite.
Our dentist may also provide mouth guards that minimize the impact of teeth grinding on teeth surfaces.
Bite-correcting orthodontics are removable devices that patients can wear to help train their teeth, facial muscles, bite, and jaw to align or correct so as to attain an ideal, less harmful, and much healthier position.
What Kind of Results Can I Expect?
Receiving TMJ treatment helps reclaim the alignment of your jaw.
It reduces symptoms like persistent noises and pain when chewing and biting. In some cases, you may have to wait to treat TMD until you have received dental restorations or completed your orthodontic treatment.
However, other causes of TMJ may need continuous use of night mouth guards or occlusal guards to prevent misalignment later on.
Call Your Athens, AL Dentist to Schedule a TMJ Consultation!
Schedule an appointment with us at Singing River Dentistry - call (256) 293-5393. Our team will evaluate your symptoms to see what treatment best can resolve your TMJ issue.
Request an Appointment
|
