Customized Treatments for a Lifetime of Relief
The TMJ (temporomandibular joint) is the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull. TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) is a disorder that can cause problems with eating, talking, moving the jaw in general, or even hearing. A biting problem can arise when the three parts of your chewing system – your teeth, jaw joint, and chewing muscles – cannot function ideally because of the way your teeth fit together. Over time, the stress a bite problem puts on your chewing system may lead to muscle and jaw joint pain as well as a host of other issues.
Have you noticed?
- Tenderness in your face, jaw, neck, and shoulders
- Ringing in your ears
- Earaches and hearing issues
- Hearing a clicking or popping when you open and close your mouth (either with or without pain)
- Your jaw getting stuck, or not being able to open your mouth fully
The reason for all these problems might be traced back to your jaw.
TMD can be caused by:
- Excessive stress
- Teeth grinding
- Dislocation of the joint
Treatment for TMD can involve multiple approaches, most commonly with a deprogrammer. It removes the influence of your teeth from your chewing system by preventing them from interlocking and reinforcing the position of your existing bite. This allows your lower jaw to relax into a more comfortable position. Once your lower jaw has fully relaxed, we will be able to provide you with treatment options for maintaining your bite in this new, more comfortable position.