Choosing Treatment For Your TMJ Disorder

TMJ disorder, sometimes referred to as TMD, is a widespread oral health concern that occurs when the jaw and smile undergo excess stress, causing painful symptoms and even upsetting how we open and close our mouth. But we can help, often with a comfortable and convenient oral appliance! At your Avon, OH, dental practice, we provide care for issues like TMJ disorder.

The Causes of TMJ Disorder

What causes an issue like TMJ disorder to occur? We could develop the disorder when our jaw joints undergo excessive strain, often caused by issues that upset overall bite balance. For example, this could include chronic teeth grinding, misalignment, tooth loss, and injury to the face or jaw. Complications with the growth of the jaw or oral structures, or even the arrival of wisdom teeth, could also stress these joints and lead to TMD. As part of your treatment, we will examine your smile with digital x-rays to assess the underlying factors and choose the most appropriate treatment option.

The Signs to Watch For

When should you consider seeing our team for treatment? You may experience a popping or clicking in your jaw, or pain in the neck, shoulders, face, and jaw. Headaches and migraines could occur too. When you begin to experience persistent pain in your face, head, or smile, please let us know! Lack of treatment could increase the risk of bruxism (chronic teeth grinding) and painful symptoms, even altering how we eat and speak. But our team can help bring relief and protect your smile.

Treatment Options

We begin with a diagnosis, examining your smile with advanced imaging systems so we can understand the cause and severity of your TMD. For some, we could recommend muscle exercises to ease tension, and you could use a warm washcloth to the side of the face to ease symptoms too. We also recommend avoiding caffeine and hard or chewy foods. In severe cases, we could also conduct oral surgery to improve the balance of your bite and ease symptoms. But the most common solution is an oral appliance, a device that fits comfortably and is worn as you sleep. The custom device then repositions your smile to ease imbalance and offer relief. The device is easy to use and clean, and can travel with you as needed too. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder, then contact our team today to learn more.

Speak With Your Avon, OH Dentist’s Office About Treating TMD   

We would like to help you enjoy better smile comfort and oral health. If you would like to learn more about improving your jaw and bite balance, then call our Avon, OH dental office at 440-937-2273.