Many people suffer from a condition called TMJ disorder, which causes popping, stiffness, and/or pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints. TMJ disorder, or TMD, can be a real nuisance, making it difficult to open and close your mouth, speak, and chew. If you are experiencing jaw pain or have a popping jaw, our dentists highly recommend trying TMJ therapy to set things straight.
There are many causes of TMJ dysfunction, including facial injuries, jawbone deterioration, arthritis, tooth grinding, tooth clenching, stress, muscle tension, and dentures, as well as nervous habits, like chewing your cheeks, biting your lips, or biting your nails. Most often, TMJ disorders are temporary, and they can usually be corrected if the disks that connect the temporomandibular joints to the jawbone have not slipped to the point of deterioration.
At Trillium Dental, we offer TMJ treatments for patients who are suffering from jaw pain or a popping, clicking jaw as the result of a TMD. Our dentists have years of experience treating TMJ disorders, and we are confident that we can provide relief and help realign your jaw into its proper position. Here’s what you need to know about our TMJ treatments:
PROVIDES PAIN RELIEF
Our TMJ treatments use a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator) unit, which relaxes the jaw to provide relief for painful symptoms. Often, people with TMJ disorders endure painful symptoms, like jaw pain, headaches, and jaw popping and cracking. When you visit our local dental clinic for your TMJ treatment, we’ll relax your jaw to relieve these symptoms and drain the lactic acid from the facial muscles. Then, we’ll be able to determine the condition, disease, or temporary issue that is causing your jaw to pop or become stiff and painful, so we can form a plan to address it.
REALIGNS THE JAW
When your jaw is relaxed, our dentists will be able to determine your correct jaw position and create a custom orthotic to adjust your jaw into its ideal alignment. We’ll take measurements of your mouth with our Myotronics K7 system, which will help us determine what specific corrections need to be made. Once we’ve created your mouth guard, you can begin retraining your jaw in accordance with the ideal bite (occlusion) and correct your misaligned jaw over time.
A LASTING SOLUTION
Part of what differentiates our TMJ treatments from those offered by other family dental clinics in Ottawa is that we offer a lasting solution to your painful, popping jaw. Rather than simply massaging the area and giving you advice about how to nurse your jaw back to health at home, we do the work for you by relaxing your jaw and taking steps to correct your TMJ disorder. Many patients have been able to overcome their TMDs with our TENS unit and custom mouth guards, and you can, too.
TRY OUR TMJ TREATMENTS IN OTTAWA
At this point, you might be wondering if TMJ therapy is right for you. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until you visit one of our dental offices in Ottawa for a consultation with one of our family dentists. Though we won’t be able to correct every TMJ disorder (slipped disks and extreme jaw deterioration are a different story), we would be more than happy to assess your situation and determine whether or not you’d be a good candidate for TMJ treatment.
At Trillium Dental, we have found the most success treating TMJ disorders in patients with misaligned jaws. If you are wondering whether or not TMJ therapy is right for you, consider these signs of a misaligned jaw:
- Headaches and/or migraines
- Pain in the jaw, neck, and/or face
- Difficulty opening your mouth
- Difficulty chewing and/or speaking
- Facial spasms
- Toothaches
- Lockjaw and/or jaw popping
- Ringing ears and/and earaches
- Numb, tingling fingertips
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s worth visiting your local dentist and inquiring about different TMJ treatments. In the meantime, you can relieve any painful symptoms by taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, and massaging the area. Warm and cold compresses are also beneficial, as alternating warm and cold packs helps to increase blood flow to the area. Also try to refrain from overextending when you open your mouth, as this can result in lockjaw.