subject: Using Your Dentist To Help Cure Tmj Problems [print this page] Have you ever experienced pain in your jaw and teeth, but went to the dentist and found no cavities? You may be a victim of a disorder called TMJ, or Temporomandibular joint disorder.
This disorder is an umbrella term covering acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the mandible to the skull. You may feel a tension or pain in the sides of your jaw, right in front of your ears.
What happens, is the particular two joints which allow your jaw to open, close, chew, yawn, etc. rotate and slide in the wrong way, and create a kind of dislocation of the jaw. Every time this occurs, the muscles surrounding these joints become inflamed, and can cause very uncomfortable pain in the jaw, ears, teeth, and head.
This disorder can be triggered from stress, genetics, excessive chewing or nail biting, lack of overbite, degenerative joint disease, jaw thrusting and speech problems, and more. Your symptoms can be biting, chewing, clicking, popping, migraines, neck pain, tinnitus, etc.
If you are experiencing any of these problems, you may want to consider talking to your dentist before things become worse. Your dentist can help to diagnose your problems, and get you on a treatment plan which will alleviate all of your symptoms.
The first thing your dentist will do is to help to relieve your pain. Pain medications can be taken, such as Paracetamol, which is a basic analgesic pain killer.
While these medications can help to relieve the symptoms you are having, they will not treat the problem. Further steps need to be taken to help treat the problem at its root and correct the habits your jaw is forming.
There are a few different ways to treat TMJ. A good idea would be to a see a dentist with some background and experience with this issue, and even one who specializes in it.
One option he or she may suggest is biofeedback. This is basically a way to train the mind to relax, and respond in a certain way when tension occurs.
This can be done by drawing a vertical line on a mirror. Watch your jaw relax as you exhale-pay attention to the relaxation that visibly occurs in the midline of your mouth.
Practice special breathing and relaxation daily using the mirror. This can help to balance out your muscles, and help you to relax.
However, this form of treatment tends to be most effective for those who are suffering from a less invasive or serious level of this disorder. If your pain and degeneration is more serious, you may need to use special mouthpieces to correct the way your jaw sits and works.
This is particularly important when sleeping. When we sleep, we tend to tense our muscles throughout the night, and can wake up with headaches, facial pain, and more.
Your dentist can create mouthpieces to fit the needs of your mouth, and change and adjust them over time as your muscles learn to work in the proper way. He can also use certain forms of orthodontia to complete this as well.
Massage can also be an effective treatment in addition to others. Experienced massage therapists can manipulate the muscles of the face, and the mandibular joints to cause relaxation and even treatment.
If things become increasingly difficult and serious, surgery can be performed to correct the issue. Having a surgery should be the last option.
It can help to manipulate the jaw, while under general anesthetic, to wash out the joint with saline and anti-inflammatory solution in a procedure known as arthrocentesis. This can help to cure the pain, and prevent further dislocation.
If you have any actual tooth or nerve damage from this disorder, your dentist can help to treat this as well, through the use of fillings, braces, retainers, bite-plates, etc. Be sure to talk to him or her about all of your symptoms, and exactly what needs to be done.
Make sure that you are comfortable with the kind of therapy that is involved in the treatment and healing of TMJ. TMJ does not have to be a problem which plagues your life.
Through the help of a dentist and the recommended treatments, your face can feel as normal as it should. Talk to your specialist today and start your road to recovery.
by: Ronald Pedactor
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