TMJ-TMD Treatment in Longwood FL
What is TMD (or TMJ)?
Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD (Temporomandibular Joint / TMJ), is a relatively common condition that refers to symptoms that result from a misalignment of the teeth, the upper and lower jaws or, in some cases, the jaw joints themselves.
Symptoms can be quite painful and can often be mistaken for other problems. TMD symptoms are numerous and can include:
- Headaches and migraines
- Muscle pain in your face, neck, or shoulders
- Pain when you open and close your jaw
- Difficulty chewing
- Toothache
- Pain, fullness, or ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
Your teeth, jaw, and surrounding muscles are all designed to work in harmony, and your teeth should all come together simultaneously. When teeth are missing or out of alignment the jaw is forced to shift position, and the muscles have to work harder than they should to bring the teeth together. The constant strain on the muscles can also pull the disc that cushions the jaw joint out of position. If this happens, the bones of the jaw joint can rub against each other, not only causing pain but also damage to the joint.
There’s a lot of debate about what causes TMD. We may ask you about some suspected causes when we take your medical history. For example, grinding teeth while awake or asleep, trauma such as a car crash or fall, emotional stress, or your teeth being out of alignment, could be contributing factors.
TMD / TMJ is Manageable
Fortunately, TMD is manageable. We will analyze your bite and TMJ to identify any problems. Once identified, we may have you wear a custom-crafted orthotic for the next several months to relax the muscles, restore balance to the jaw joint, and stabilize the bite. Once we have stabilized your TMJ, we can permanently improve it.
Millions of people suffer from TMD, but with treatment, we can restore harmony to the teeth, muscles, jaw joint, and get you out of pain.
