TMJ Dysfunction

Temporomandibular Disorder

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic facial and neck pain as well as recurrent headaches. In some cases this pain is due to Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD.

Your temporomandibular joints, or jaw joints, connect your lower jawbone to your skull. These joints get quite a lot of use throughout the day as you speak, chew, swallow, and yawn. Pain in and around these joints can be unpleasant and may even restrict movement.

Symptoms of TMD include:

Pain in the jaw area

Sensitive and worn teeth

Pain, ringing, or fullness in the ears

Frequent headaches

Clicking or popping sound when the jaw moves

Muscle spasms in the jaw area

Locked jaw or limited opening of the mouth

Should these symptoms become a concern, we can help advise you as to whether they indicate the presence of TMD, and what sort of treatment is appropriate for you.

For most patients, nighttime grinding and clenching is the primary cause of TMD. Everyone does it to some extent and it is normally brought on by stress and tension. This habit may be transient in nature and the symptoms may come and go. Treatment is dictated by the persistency and severity of the symptoms present.

For most patients the initial treatment involves the fabrication of a mouthpiece, worn at night time, to limit the trauma from grinding on the teeth, joints and muscles.