San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, CA
Can you locate where the temporomandibular joint is on your body? The average person probably cannot identify this joint, but if it becomes misaligned or enters a state of dysfunction, this joint can lead to a wide variety of problems, including issues with your oral health and pain that can be so debilitating that it affects your ability to function on a daily basis.
This disorder is called temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ for short, and it afflicts millions of individuals. If you have TMJ or think you may suffer from the disorder, then you can receive the diagnosis and treatment you need from the neuromuscular dentists on our team of professionals at Glen Park Dental.
What causes TMJ?
Causes of TMJ may vary, but may include:
- Stress
- Misaligned bite
- Muscle tension in the face and/or jaw
- Teeth grinding, otherwise known as bruxism
- Dislocating the disc between the ball and socket of the temporomandibular joint
- Arthritis in the jaws or emanating from the temporomandibular joint itself
TMJ symptoms
No two cases of TMJ are identical, and many patients with TMJ can report widely different sets of symptoms that may include:
- Pain in the jaw or jaw joints
- Facial pain
- Pain in the teeth, which may “migrate” seemingly at random to different locations in the mouth
- Pain in the neck, shoulders, and/or back
- Hearing a clicking or popping sound in your jaw as it opens and closes
- Headaches, which may cause severe pain or be of migraine-like intensity
- Congestion, stuffiness, and/or pain in the ears
- Teeth that are loose, worn down, cracked or chipped
- Problems chewing, especially hard or chewy foods
- Tingling or numbness in the extremities
For a comprehensive list of TMJ symptoms, click here.
TMJ treatment and what you can expect
A neuromuscular dentist, like the ones on staff at Glen Park Dental, is the best-qualified medical professional to provide proper diagnosis and treatment of a case of TMJ. Neuromuscular dentistry is a specialty of dental science that emphasizes finding or restoring the ideal alignment of your jaw and bite.
If you have been diagnosed with TMJ and seek the care of one of our neuromuscular dentists, then our first step always is to manage any pain you may be suffering as a result of the disorder. Once that has been achieved, we will treat the root cause of the disorder—the dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint itself—by applying the principles of neuromuscular dentistry through the use of cutting-edge dental technology.
Click here to learn more about why you should seek the care of a neuromuscular dentist.
Our preferred method of treatment for TMJ is oral appliance therapy. We accomplish this therapy through the use of an orthotic mouthpiece that is custom-made to provide a secure, effective, comfortable fit for each patient. This mouthpiece gradually pushes your lower jaw back into its ideal alignment, bringing your temporomandibular joint into a state of harmony and resolving TMJ.
Still have questions about TMJ and how we diagnose and treat the disorder? Click here.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with TMJ, call the office of Glen Park Dental at (415) 585-1500 to schedule a consultation.
Glen Park Dental is here to serve patients in the areas of Marin, Oakland, and San Francisco, California.
