The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is a meeting place for a majority of your facial nerves, some major blood vessels, and powerful muscles. When something goes wrong, you may experience a number of problems, some of which do not seem to be related to the TMJ at all. Dr. White can help determine if your chronic headaches, jaw pain, ear pain, or neck pain is related to temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
What is TMJ?
The temporomandibular joint, commonly called the TMJ is the joint that connects the mandible to your skull. When this joint becomes inflamed, it can cause a wide variety of problems, including:
- Chronic headaches
- Tinnitus
- Earaches
- Jaw catching, clicking, or popping
- Jaw pain
- Neck pain
What causes TMJ Dysfunction?
There are as many causes of TMJ dysfunction as there are signs and symptoms. Primarily, it is an inflammation of the jaw joint itself caused by your TMJ being out of proper alignment, or mal-occluded. Some of the main factors for mal-occlusion include:
- Improper occlusion
- Bruxism, or tooth clenching
- Exaggerated chewing habits
- Trauma
- Missing or injured teeth, causing you to favor one side of your mouth
What can I do about treating TMJ?
The first thing to do is get a proper TMJ diagnosis. Once Dr. White determines that your pain is cause by TMD, he will develop a comprehensive treatment plan to correct the underlying cause of the stresses on your TMJ. Depending on the specific factor, he may recommend one or more of the following treatments, beginning with options that are more conservative:
Once the underlying problem is addressed and corrected, the TMJ pain and discomfort usually goes away.
How is TMJ diagnosed?
A neuromuscular dentist is specially trained to diagnose and treat TMJ dysfunction. Dr. White takes careful measurements of where your jaw is when it relaxes and where its ideal position is. Once the ideal position is determined, he will treat the underlying symptoms to correct the problem.
Where can I find a Neuromuscular Dentist in Tulsa?
Dr. White, at Tulsa's White Smile Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is specially trained in neuromuscular dentistry. He has all the skills and equipment necessary to diagnose and treat your TMJ dysfunction or cosmetic dental needs.
To find out more about how treatment options for your TMJ symptoms, please contact Tulsa neuromuscular dentist Dr. Steven V. White to schedule an initial consultation.
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