TMJ / Joint disorders

night-guard

In our increasingly stressful world, headaches and joint pains are are on the rise. If you are experiencing regular headaches not responding to treatment, tenderness in your face, jaws, neck shoulder and back, pain while eating or difficulty in closing or opening your mouth; then you may require a thorough clinical evaluation and treatment for Temporormandibular joint disorder. 

 

1. What are the common signs and symptoms for TMJ disorders?

- Call us at 99869 47722 / 080 2334 0207 to meet our specialists if you are experiencing any of these symptoms-

  • pain and/ or tenderness on the side of your face jaw, joint area, neck, shoulders and in/around your ears; especially when you chew, speak or open your mouth

  • clicking/ popping/ grating sounds during mouth opening, closing or chewing. This may or may not be painful

  • swelling on the side of your face

  • jaws that get locked or stuck in the open or closed mouth position

  • jaw clenching and teeth grinding

  • problems when you open your mouth too wide

  • trouble chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite (upper and lower teeth not fitting together)

  • unexplained broken fillings or crowns

  • sensitive teeth

  • teeth moving out of position

  • worn out or chipped teeth

 

2. Why do these joint (TMJ) problems occur?

- TMJ disorders can occur due to a wide variety of reasons- a thorough clinical examination, digital x-rays and detailed history is required to diagnose the problem and its cause. It is usually related to teeth grinding and jaw clenching which occurs knowingly or unknowingly as a reaction to stress. Bite problems may also occur due to trauma, malocclusion or very commonly due to arthritis and other joint related tissue degeneration. 

 

3. How can you treat TMJ disorders?

- Following the diagnosis of joint disorder, our specialist will discuss your treatment options which will aim to recalibrate your occlusal system. Some treatment modalities include-

  • night guard- this custom splint therapy prevents teeth grinding which is the leading cause for TMJ disorder symptoms

  • Restorations- bite equilibration can be done using fillings, onlays and crowns especially when teeth are worn out, damaged or not making proper contact

  • Orthodontic treatment- this is used to relieve jaw tension and resolve biting problems by properly aligning your teeth