About
12% of the US population will experience signs of a TMJ disorder at some time in their life. Women are more greatly impacted, in fact, by about nine to one.
These disorders can be complex to diagnose, so if you're experiencing symptoms, it's wise to get help right away.
While you know your dentist cares for your teeth, you might be surprised that a TMD dentist can address and treat your jaw issues.
Read on to learn more about TMD and its treatments from
a TMD dentist.
What Is the Temporomandibular Joint?
A human's lower jaw is connected to the skull with two joints. These joints are called
the temporomandibular joints (TMJ).
These joints allow your jaw to rotate and slide as needed. They are easy to locate by placing your hands on the side of your face near your ears and then moving your mouth around.
Located near the ears, the joints consist of the temporal bone on the side and base of the skull and the mandible at the lower jaw.
What Is TMD?
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMD, is also commonly referred to as TMJ.
Each TMJ joint has muscles and ligaments attached to them that help move the jaw up and down and rotate.
TMD occurs when you have tenderness, swelling, and pain in those joints and the muscles and ligaments connected to them. This jaw pain can cause severe pain and discomfort which can become acutely noticeable whenever those joints are moved.
Signs of TMD/TMJ
If you're having trouble with TMD, you're likely aware. The signs are quite noticeable, especially jaw pain and facial pain.
Other signs include:
- Tenderness in and around your teeth
- Tenderness in the jaw, sides of face, ears, neck, and head
- Trouble with chewing
- Trouble opening your mouth
- Fatigue in your face
- Jaw locks, when open or closed all the way
- Swelling in the sides of your face
Sometimes, the signs make sufferers feel like they can't speak well because it's hard to move their mouths.
How Is a TMD Dentist Different?
A TMD dentist is trained as a regular dentist. They likely practice general dentistry and care for patients with many dental needs.
A TMD dentist, though, continues their education beyond general dentistry. They extend their education to become specialized in the temporomandibular joint and the disorders that occur to it.
In addition to their regular dental practice, a TMD dentist also spends time diagnosing, managing, and treating TMJ disorders.
Role of the TMD Dentist
If you're suffering from some of the symptoms of TMD, then you want to schedule a dental visit with the TMD dentist.
Their role is to diagnose the issue, then continue with you through your care and managing the condition.
In some cases, the role of the TMD dentist will be to treat the symptoms, which in turn will eliminate the pain in other cases. Their treatment plan might involve a regimen to help the jaw and surrounding area to function better.
What Causes TMD?
Several things can trigger and
cause TMJ pain. These might include:
- Teeth grinding
- Injury to the jaw
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Genetics
- Arthritis
An essential part of the TMD dentist's care for you will be to get to the bottom of what's triggering the pain and symptoms. A treatment plan can be arranged once the dentist understands the trigger and causes.
Treatment Options for TMD
So, what options are available for the treatment of TMD/TMJ? Treatment will depend in part on what's causing it. Let's take a closer at some treatment options.
Diet
If your TMJ joint, muscles, and ligaments are in distress, one treatment suggestion might be to adjust your diet. Adjusting your diet to eat softer foods that don't require heavy chewing can give your jaw the rest it needs to settle down.
Ice and Heat
One way to treat the symptoms for patients who experience swelling and significant pain is to use a combination of heat and ice.
Heat can help the muscles and ligaments around the jaw. Icing (like with a bag of frozen peas) can reduce swelling and help manage pain.
Stress Reduction
If stress and high anxiety levels are triggering TMJ pain, then, of course, doing what you can to make lifestyle changes to lower your stress levels is key. Facial massage can help reduce the stress you feel on your face. Some dentists will suggest meditation and other forms of therapy to address stress levels.
Medication
Your TMD dentist might suggest medication to address pain and swelling. In most cases, you can take over-the-counter pain medication for help. If you have more severe or long-term pain, the dentist might prescribe medication for pain management.
The TMD dentist might also prescribe muscle relaxers to help the jaw.
Nightguard
Often one treatment method will be to have the patient start to use a mouthguard and nightguard.
Often a trigger for TMD is jaw clenching and teeth grinding. The mouthguard and nightguard can prevent the patient from doing these things and help the TMJ joint area relax.
Physical Therapy
Your TMD dentist might prescribe physical therapy for more severe cases or ones where other treatment options aren't working.
A physical therapist can work with the patient on several exercises in the jaw and mouth area. These can help relax the area and reduce pain.
Dental Work
Some patients do require some dental work. If a patient has missing or misaligned teeth causing the jaw to sit uncomfortably, the dentist may opt for some dental work to address the problem.
Dental work might include crowns, partial dentures, or orthodontic aligners to address the problem.
See Your TMD Dentist for Treatment
A TMD dentist can help to diagnose and develop a treatment plan for patients suffering from TMD issues.
If you're experiencing pain in your jaw, it's time to seek the help of your TMD dentist.
Contact us to schedule a time for the dentist to evaluate your case.
