Do You Have Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?

TMJ often causes severe pain and discomfort.  A few of TMJ disorder symptoms are: pain or soreness in your face, jaw area, neck, and in or around the ear when you chew or open your mouth wide, clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint, trouble chewing. Multiple risk factors contribute to the muscle tightness and dysfunction that characterize this condition, including teeth grinding, stress or anxiety, jaw trauma or poorly positioned teeth, poor posture in the neck and upper back muscles, inflammatory disorders including arthritis etc.

In many cases a mouthpiece, called an occlusal guard or splint, can help correct a TMJ disorder. In some cases a TMJ occlusal guard is not enough. Missing teeth or misaligned teeth may require correcting the root cause of the issue. Treatments like straightening crooked teeth or creating a better way for teeth to come together with Invisalign clear retainers or braces can be one treatment option.  Replacing missing teeth with a bridge, partial denture, flipper, or dental implants can be another option. These TMJ treatments are used to balance the surfaces of your teeth or to correct an improper bite. TMJ disorder can be painful and sometimes even debilitating. Please visit our Burlington office for a proper assessment and treatment, our experienced Burlington dentists can help.