Extensive Tmj Training Allows Your Dentist To Provide Proper Treatment Options

Your headache or jaw pain may not only be a trigger of stress-it could be a deeper dental problem

. Headaches and jaw pain may be a sign that you suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. Dr. Denise Antalis has completed her TMJ residency with AACP to be able to provide you with proper diagnosis and treatment in this often-painful disorder. TMD is a condition in which your bite becomes misaligned, causing many serious painful health problems. Many people utilize the acronym TMJ in place of TMD, but TMJ actually stands for temporomandibular joint instead of the actual disorder. Dr. Antalis is properly trained in proper alignment of the jaw in relation to the muscles that control its function, and is always available to help relieve your dental complications.

Symptoms of TMD

The most painful and debilitating symptom of TMD tends to be a severe headache that is often described as a "migraine" headache. As many of us know, a migraine like headache can interrupt your daily routine, causing you to remain in bed for sometimes days. TMD causes headaches because the trigeminal nerve is one of the most complex and powerful nerves in the entire body. The trigeminal nerve is completely responsible for the TMJ and tooth functions, which accounts for more than 40% of the brain's processing. This nerve is comprised of three branches, all affecting various parts of the face, head, shoulders and arms. Because of the trigeminal nerve's far-reaching power, the pain and muscle tightness that is so often associated with TMD can even affect your hands and fingers.

Pain experienced with TMD may be sharp and searing, or it can be dull and constant-either way the pain can often be debilitating. Your pain is typically found right over the joint immediately in front of the ear, but can radiate elsewhere and cause spasms in the muscles that are attached to the bones of the skull, face and jaw. Some of the more notable symptoms of TMD-other than headaches-include:

*Tooth grinding

*Facial pain and soreness

*Neck soreness and pain

*Clicking and popping noises of the jaw

*Locking of the jaw

*Uneven and excessive tooth wear

*Ear pain

*Stiff, tight or painful jaw muscles

Many people visit the doctor for their headaches and are often prescribed medicine to treat the pain of a headache. However, there is often no treatment provided for what is actually causing the headache. With the help of Dr. Antalis, you can experience relief for your TMD and not just for the symptoms of the painful headache associated with a misaligned jaw.

Treatment Options

An orthotic is a custom made appliance that is made of plastic and can be worn over, or fixed to, the teeth to maintain the neuromuscular bite position. At this point, nothing is done to permanently alter your teeth or your bite. You will typically wear this plastic appliance for a prescribed period of time to verify that this new jaw position solves and reduces your condition and symptoms. If it does, it has proven that the imperfect bite was the cause of your complications and you may elect to have your natural teeth treated to permanently maintain your new bite position.

To learn more about TMD-related headaches and possible treatment options, visit Dr. Denise Antalis, your dentist in Cambridge, OH for further consultation of your pain. Remember, your headache may be more than just a normal symptom of stress, so seek dental care, too.

by: Gen Wright

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