Do You Suffer From TMJ?
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Do you suffer from tension headaches, facial pain limited mouth opening or neck pain? Then you could be suffering from TMJ syndrome. TMJ Disorder is a dysfunction of the head and the neck, caused by the malfunctioning and incorrect positioning of the jaw. TMJ disorder is often not recognised as a dental problem, as most people suffer from migraines or chronic headaches which they do not associate to a dental problem. There is no known cause of TMJ, but it is found to be hereditary so if a known family member has been diagnosed with TMJ, there is a chance you could have it.
Some symptoms of TMJ are, Tension Headaches, Jaw pain, TMJ clicking, Limited mouth opening, Difficulty swallowing, Dizziness, Sensitive teeth, Neck pain, Chewing difficulties, Clenching, Tingling of the fingertips, Insomnia or loose teeth. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms a neuromuscular dentist will consider all of your symptoms, and also any hereditary history, and will then do a physical examination of your teeth head and neck. A series of test will then be undertaken to indicate what the major factor of your TMD is if any.
When it has been indicated that you suffer from TMD there are a range of treatments that you can undertake in order for you to cure your case of TMJ. There are usually 4 steps towards treating TMJ, these are, Assessing you bite to see if it is a contributing factor, taking an impression of your bite that is causing the TMJ, taking a new impression of your ideal bite to counter TMJ, then having what is known as an orthotic , which is a custom made TMJ splint fabricated of plastic that is made from your ideal bite impression and can be worn over fixed teeth to maintain the neuromuscularly derived bite position. The wearing of the orthotic is not a permanent cure for you TMJ, it is to be worn for a prescribed amount of time to determine whether this is the ideal point for your new jaw position. If this is the case then it has shown that your imperfect bite was the cause of your discomfort and TMJ, you can then decide whether you would like to go on and have your teeth treated to permanently maintain your new comfortable bite position.
The majority of people will react quickly to the orthotic treatment, to complete your full long term treatment of TMJ you could undertake a treatment such as Invisalign invisible braces to permanently correct your bite.
If you feel that you could suffer from TMJ do not hesitate to get an expert opinion and an assessment to determine whether you could have TMJ, make an appointment with your dentist to discuss your options as it is a very easy condition to treat, and will relieve all your pain that have relating to your jaw and headaches.
