TMJ Treatment Near You
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is sometimes referred to as TMJ. Whatever you call it, it is characterized by pain in your jaw, neck, shoulders, and head and comes along with a clicking sound in your jaw. Patients with TMD often find eating and opening their jaw difficult or lack the full range of motion in their jaw. The symptoms occur when the soft joint between your lower jaw and skull becomes inflamed. We provide TMJ treatment near Cranston to restore the functionality of your jaw.
Request AppointmentReceiving TMJ Treatment
Our dental clinic provides TMJ treatment in Calgary, AB. We screen our patients for the risk of developing TMD by regularly asking three questions. First, do you grind your teeth? Second, do you notice any popping or clicking sound in your jaw? Third, do you experience any limitations in the range of motion in your jaw? These screening questions will help us identify the development of TMD and intervene in treatment strategies.
Many patients with symptoms of TMD also experience sleep bruxism. It is characterized by clenching your teeth and jaw and grinding your teeth. You may not know you suffer from sleep bruxism except by its constellation of symptoms that overlap with those of TMD. This includes tooth sensitivity and pain, loose and chipped teeth, worn tooth enamel, flattened teeth, and damaged dental work.
Like with TMD, patients with sleep bruxism describe pain in the neck, face, and jaw, temple-focused headaches that feel like earaches, difficulty opening and closing your jaw, and tiredness.
What Does TMJ Treatment Involve?
If you’re looking to receive TMJ treatment near you, the process will be split into two stages. The first stage of treatment for TMD is to develop a mouth guard for you to wear at night. The mouth guard will act as a physical barrier between your teeth to prevent clenching and absorb some of the stress of your clenched jaw. Mouth guards developed for the purpose of TMD treatment should never be purchased generically online. These are not designed to fit the unique shape of your mouth and may not be as effective. A rigid mouth guard custom-formed by your dentist and fit to your bite will treat your TMD.
The second stage of TMJ treatment follows once you start to feel the effects of wearing a mouth guard at night. Your dentist will reshape the biting surfaces of your teeth. If that simple reshaping is insufficient to relieve the symptoms of TMD, your dentist may recommend orthodontics to completely reposition your teeth or even surgery to significantly adjust your jaw and teeth.
Key Points About TMJ Treatment
- Custom-fit mouth guards can also be an effective treatment for the specific symptoms of sleep bruxism.
- During your regular dental appointments, always tell your dentist about symptoms affecting your neck, jaw, face, head, and sleep since they all may relate to your teeth and jaws.