Valuable Information about TMJ Disorders and Their Treatment

When your dentist tells you that you have TMJ or TMD, it means that the issue that has been causing you discomfort or soreness in your jaw, face, teeth, ear, or chewing patterns is related directly to your jaw and jaw joint. This is one of the more difficult issues to diagnose and treat because it can mask itself as something else.

For example, someone with a TMJ disorder might visit their ear, nose, and throat doctor because they are convinced that they have an ear infection. They might also go to their regular doctor because of frequent and severe headaches, and some people head to their chiropractor because they believe it is their neck causing the problem.

Once the disorder has been identified, however, the patient will be put into a therapy or treatment directly related to their specific causes for the TMJ disorder. For example, one person might experience TMD because they are suffering from an improper bite pattern that is stressing the jaw. This person might be outfitted with orthodontic equipment designed to create proper alignment between their upper and lower jaws.

Alternately, someone else might suffer TMJ disorder because their teeth have shifted and are causing improper bite and jaw alignment instead. This can be treated through a different type of splint or appliance or through a treatment known as occlusal equilibration from a cosmetic dentist.

Lastly, the most serious cases of TMD might come from an actual structural disorder in the jaw. This is usually discovered through x-rays or MRIs and may require the use of surgery to overcome.

Luckily, very few people with TMJ disorders will ever reach the point where surgery is required. It is usually some sort of conservative therapy that slowly realigns the teeth, jaw socket or upper and lower jaws accordingly. This alleviates such common complaints as headaches, pain, and discomfort when chewing or yawning.

To learn more about TMJ as well as dental implants, sedation dentistry, and other dental procedures, be sure to visit our Hartford, Connecticut cosmetic dentistry office.