TMJ Treatment in Woodbridge, NJ
TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint, and it is a hinge that joins your jaw to the temporal bones of the skull. This joint allows you to move your jaw side to side and up and down so that you can chew, talk or yawn conveniently. In some cases, there is some problem with the facial muscles and jaw, this is called temporomandibular disorder or temporomandibular joint disorder.
Causes of TMJ Disorder
The primary cause of TMJ disorder is the problem with the muscles of your jaw or the joint. Injury to your joint or jaw or the muscles of the neck and head can lead to the TMJ disorder. Damage to the joint or jaw of the muscles of the neck and head because of a heavy whiplash can lead to the TMJ disorder. Some other causes of the TMJ disorder are:
- Clenching or grinding of the teeth that put immense pressure on the joint
- Movement of the disc or cushion between the socket and ball of the joint
- Arthritis pain in the joint
- Stress that might cause you to tighten the jaw or facial muscles or clenching of the teeth
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder is quite painful and causes discomfort. Some of the common symptoms include:
- Tenderness and pain in the face, neck, jaw joint and in and around the ear
- Difficulty in opening the mouth
- Jaws that gets locked or stuck in the closed or open mouth position
- The sound of click, pop or grate while opening or closing of the mouth or when you try to chew
Some other symptoms that you might witness are a headache, toothache, dizziness, ringing in the ear, upper shoulder pain, etc.
TMJ Treatment
It is essential to seek assistance from a dental expert to treat the TMJ disorder. Here is how a dentist can help you:
- Over-the-counter-drugs: Dentists will prescribe the medications to soothe dental swelling and pain. He might also suggest you relax the muscles by avoiding the clenching or grinding of the teeth.
- Night guard or splint: It is one of the most recommended TMJ treatments by dentists as a plastic mouthpiece is fit over the lower and upper teeth so that they don’t touch each other. It minimizes the effect of grinding or clenching and helps in improving the bite. The dentist seeing your dental conditions will suggest whether to use the night guard or the splint.
- Dental work: The dentist might replace the missing teeth or use the bridges or crowns or bridges to balance the biting surface of the teeth and correct the bite problems. In most cases, it will solve your problems. Only in severe case, dental surgeries are suggested.
In case you are also witnessing TMJ problems, contact us and we will guide you through this dental treatment process and answer all your queries.
