TMJ Temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD for short, is one of the many disorders that our dentists treat. Even though it has nothing to do with your teeth, it still focuses on your jawbone which makes it a priority for our dentists at Katz Dentistry. However, TMD can be mistaken for a number of other disorders. In order to make sure we check off all the boxes and diagnose you correctly, we use a proper diagnosis to analyze your jaw to check for TMD. How We Diagnose TMDOne of the first things that our dentists will do is to listen to your jaw. TMD places a lot of strain on your joints and the hinges that operate your jaw. Therefore, if we hear any clicking or popping sounds when you open your jaw or notice any abnormalities when we feel your jaw as you move it around, we can mark that on our examination. If we think that your jaw has a problem, we will have your jaw x-rayed, CT scanned, or use an MRI to allow our team to have a better look. If you have TMD, then one of two things will happen. Either your symptoms will go away on their own, or we will need to take action. Taking Action Against TMDIf your TMD symptoms are getting worse and there is no way to defend against them, we can offer you medications such as pain relievers and muscle relaxants to ease the pain. We can also have you use oral splints or mouthguards to hold the jaw open and relieve the pain. Physical therapy can work by strengthening your jaw muscles, and our dentists can give you several exercises to try. Along with the exercises, we can also use temperature therapy to treat your muscles. You can practice these exercises either in the office or at home, and then get to where you will be able to do them automatically. Surgical OptionsThere are several different types of surgical procedures that can ease the pressure that TMD places on your jaw. Most types feature injections into your jaw, that either remove the debris pressing down onto the joint or introduce something into your jaw muscles. One popular procedure uses botox injections to relieve the pain felt inside the jaw. Home Health Care OptionsFinally, there are some home remedies you can try to remove the tension in your jaw. You can try to avoid clenching your jaw and putting a lot of tension on it, do exercises to stretch and massage your jaw, and stop overusing your jaw muscles. As you can see, there are a lot of different ways to remove the jaw problems that can cause TMD. When you come to see our dentists at Katz Dentistry we will figure out what option or combination of options is the best for you. The pain and extra stress on your jaw muscles will start to go away after a while, and you will be able to live your life without TMD. If you want to see how we can help, call us at 737-237-0677 today! |
Katz DentistryOffice hoursMon 8:00am to 5:00pm Tue 8:00am to 4:00pm Wed 8:00am to 5:00pm Thur 8:00am to 3:00pm Fri Closed |
