TMJ / TMD Treatments

In today’s world, many people suffer from pain and the lack of mobility in their jaw joints. Such conditions are collectively referred to as TMD or TMJ, meaning temporal-mandibular dysfunction, or temporal-mandibular joint syndrome. Whatever it is called, this condition results in significant pain and restricted use of the mouth and jaws for many people.

Because the causes are so many, the range of symptoms we feel are even more numerous. General Symptoms are:

People may bring this condition to the attention of their medical doctor or dentist, but treatment is usually done by the dental practitioner. 

Treatment begins with thorough and complete diagnosis. This may necessitate x-rays of the joints called tomograms, and will involve models of the teeth mounted in a manner similar to the arches of teeth in our head.

Treating TMD is like building a pyramid, not meaning it takes hundreds of years, but meaning that each step comes in a proper sequence, and one step must be completely and successfully accomplished before we can begin the next.

Generally, after the acute phase of TMD has been resolved, a second stage of treatment is necessary to ward off the return of the original symptoms. Such care may include; Equilibration, or reshaping of the tooth biting surfaces, Orthodontics, or moving teeth into better position, Reconstruction, or rebuilding the tooth biting surfaces, or Surgery, to move teeth and bones into a better relationship.

Please contact our office if you suffer from these troubling maladies.