Effective TMJ Treatment For TMD Symptoms
The jawbone is responsible for your ability to eat, speak, and smile, and when you’re dealing with symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), you might be struggling just to get through your day-to-day routine.
Because of how debilitating and painful TMD can be, it’s highly recommended that you seek professional treatment. For lasting relief from jaw pain, contact the Sacramento dental office of Dr. A. Scott. Grivas III for effective TMJ treatment.
What Is TMD
TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder or dysfunction. Temporomandibular joint disorder refers to inflammation or injury of the
muscles and tendons that connect your jaw to your skull. Common causes and contributing factors of TMD include:
- Bruxism (teeth grinding/clenching)
- Trauma to the face or jaw
- Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Stress
- Depression
- Misaligned bite
- Dislocation of the TMJ joints
- Obstructive sleep apnea
Symptoms of TMD
Symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder can range from mild to severe, and can affect parts of your body besides your jaw. Common symptoms of TMD include:
- Headaches/ Migraines
- Pain in the face, jaw joint, and/or the ear
- Neck/shoulder/back pain
- Jaw locking when the jaw is open or closed (Tetanus)
- Facial swelling
- Worn or cracked teeth
- Uncomfortable bite
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Clicking or popping in the jaw
- Restricted ability or complete inability to open the mouth without pain
- Sensitive, sore, and loose teeth
- Depression due to chronic pain
- Numbness or tingling of hands or arms caused by muscle spasms
- Excessive snoring or sleep apnea due to changes in jaw position
- Bad posture
TMD symptoms don’t often resolve on their own, and tend to worsen if left untreated. If you’re experiencing possible symptoms of TMD, you should contact our Sacramento dental office by calling (916) 929-9222 as soon as possible. Dr. Grivas can accurately diagnose and effectively treat TMD symptoms.
Our TMJ Treatment Options
Oral Appliance Therapy
Once Dr. Grivas has provided a thorough exam and an accurate diagnosis of TMJ, he’ll help reposition your jaw through oral appliance therapy. Oral appliance therapy involves using a custom-made mouth guard to redistribute your jaw pressure while you wear it. Once the pressure has been alleviated, your TMD symptoms may lessen.
TENS
TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, is an advanced dental technology that delivers minor electrical pulses to the muscles in your jaw. The pulses massage the tissues and targets the nerves, relieving and blocking pain. Your Sacramento, CA TMJ dentist can use TENS therapy in conjunction with oral appliance therapy to increase the efficiency of your treatment.
Out-of-Office Recommendation
Depending on the specifics of your case, certain factors may cause TMD symptoms to persist in spite of treatment from your TMJ dentist. In that case, Dr. Grivas may recommend you to a specialist, such as a mental or physical therapist. These professionals can help you deal with any extraneous mental or physical issues that may be causing or worsening your TMD symptoms. Your TMJ dentist will work in concert with them to ensure you get the relief you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Muscle relaxers may work to help alleviate stress and tension in your jaw. However, muscle relaxers are strong medications that affect more than just your jaw, and often come with serious side effects. Your TMJ dentist and other medical professionals will most likely recommend medication and treatment before muscle relaxers.
If you want to help control your symptoms until you can see a TMJ doctor, dentists usually recommend the following:
- Eat softer foods or try a liquid diet for a while
- Avoid chewing gum and biting your nails
- Use heat and cold packs on your jaw
- Practice relaxation techniques
- Sleep on your back or your side
- Avoid resting your hand on your jaw
- Take small bites
- Practice good posture
- Ask a doctor about using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Coverage for TMJ treatment across dental insurance providers varies. Contact your insurance provider beforehand to confirm with them which costs they can cover. To help all of our patients get the effective TMJ therapy they need, we can offer dental financing options.
There’s no way to predict how long TMD will last. For some patients, their TMD symptoms may last and even worsen. For other patients, their TMD symptoms might alleviate their own, or disappear for a while only to flare up again later.
Because of the unpredictable nature of TMD, it’s important to seek effective TMJ therapy as soon as possible. Dr. Grivas can diagnose the issue and help determine the exact cause of the problem. That way, your treatment will be effective and your relief will be long-lasting.
Visit Dr. Grivas For Effective TMJ Treatment & Lasting TMD Relief
TMD can make life unnecessarily difficult by making it harder to eat, speak, and smile. If you’re struggling with symptoms of TMD, Dr. Grivas offers effective TMJ treatment options. You can learn more about TMD symptoms or schedule an appointment with our TMJ dentist by calling our Sacramento dental office at (916) 929-9222. You can also fill out the contact form below and one of our friendly team members will get back to you shortly.
Dr. Grivas offers TMJ therapy to patients from Sacramento and surrounding areas such as West Sacramento, Florin, Rosemont, La Riviera, CA.
