tmj and Headaches
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TMJ
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to your complex jaw joint. If you have had symptoms like pain or a clicking sound, you’ll be glad to know that these problems are more easily diagnosed and treated than they were in the past. These symptoms occur when the joints of the jaw and the chewing muscles (muscles of mastication) do not work together correctly. TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint. Which is the name for each joint (right and left) that connects your jaw to your skull. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important.
No one treatment can resolve TMJ disorders completely and treatment takes time to become effective. Dr. Smith can help you have a healthier and more comfortable jaw.
Do You Have a TMJ Disorder?
- Are you aware of grinding or clenching your teeth?
- Do you wake up with sore, stiff muscles around your jaws?
- Do you have frequent headaches or neck aches?
- Does the pain get worse when you clench your teeth?
- Does stress make your clenching and pain worse?
- Does your jaw click, pop, grate. catch, or lock when you open your mouth?
- Is It difficult or painful to open your mouth, eat or yawn?
- Have you ever injured your neck, head or jaws?
- Have you had problems (such as arthritis) with other joints?
- Do you have teeth that no longer touch when you bite?
- Do your teeth meet differently from time to time?
- Is it hard to use your front teeth to bite or tear food?
- Are your teeth sensitive, loose, broken or worn?
Headaches
Millions of people suffer from headaches. Headaches have many causes; however, the most commonly diagnosed are muscle tension headaches and migraines. Many diagnosed migraine type headaches by health care practitioners are often treated using a variety of pharmaceutical agents developed to help patients find relief from these symptoms.
If you are under the care of a physician and your headaches are being managed well you are fortunate. If you are having headaches that have not been professionally diagnosed and finding yourself frustrated by lack of any significant relief, a dentist that has been trained in treating headaches may be able to help. There are significant neuro-muscular and jaw positioning factors that often contribute to these conditions that many physicians are unaware of because their training did not focus on these newer treatment modalities.
The headache cases that seem to be non responsive to the conventional pharmaceutical therapies are the headache types that we often treat. We have treated hundreds of patients successfully using a discipline of non-invasive appliance therapy and little to no use of pharmaceuticals. Oral appliance therapy has been found to be very effective in many of these situations. Call Dentistry With TLC today to schedule an evaluation.
