Many people suffer from temporomandibular joint disease, or TMJ, and have no clue. If you have trouble with chronic headaches, including migraines, clicking or popping jaws, facial pain in the vicinity of your cheeks or ears, or an aching neck, you could be suffering from this disease. If that is the case, then TMJ therapy is the best way to combat the pain so you can focus on all that life has to offer and stop suffering.
What is TMJ Disease?
The symptoms of TMJ disease are usually related to occlusion, or the way the jaws fit together – this is also known as the “bite.” These symptoms include dizziness, earaches, chronic fatigue, ringing or blocked ears, temporary memory loss, and even arthritis-like pains in joints, or numbness in areas of the body that are located far away from the teeth. Head, neck, and back pain are also common complaints.
While many physicians who have undergone standard training are not equipped to understand TMJ disease or recognize the relationship between teeth, jawbone, and the alignment of those body components with the rest of the body, a surprising number of dentists are similarly unversed and have no idea how closely their work is linked to their patient’s overall bodily health. Dentists trained in orthopedic and orthodontic techniques, as well as those who are trained in advanced general dental techniques are much more likely to recognize the symptoms and treat them appropriately.
How Patients Benefit From Proper TMJ Therapy
Besides the obvious benefit of pain relief, patients suffering from TMJ disease who undergo proper therapy are often able to stop taking the potent pain relieving drugs that so often fail to bring relief, simply because symptoms are being treated without doctors and other professionals recognizing the cause of the pain.
When you see a dentist who understands the delicate relationship between the skeletomuscular balance of the back, neck, and head, as well as the relationship of the teeth to these physical aspects, and who offers TMJ therapy, you will be able to benefit from surprisingly quick pain relief, minus the drugs that provide only temporary reprieve from painful symptoms.
Your jaw joint, which is suspended beneath your skull via an intricate system of tendons and muscles, holds your lower jaw in place. It, and the fit of your teeth, are incredibly interrelated, affecting one another as you speak, chew, and make other movements with your jaw. When it is misaligned, it affects blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. Each time you use this system when it is out of alignment, tension and pain increase.
After seeing your dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment, and once your anatomy has come back into alignment, you will discover that you feel as though you have a new lease on life.