If you’ve been experiencing severe or nagging jaw pain, especially after waking up, you could have a TMJ disorder, or TMD.
TMJ, or the temporomandibular joint, is responsible for connecting your lower jaw to the temporal bone on the side of your head. And it does quite a lot of work! It’s responsible for allowing you to speak, chew, yawn and much more!
However, if this joint is not functioning correctly, you could experience severe pain, and a variety of other unpleasant symptoms.
If your TMJ is misaligned or misplaced, you could experience a wide variety of symptoms including:
The pain caused by TMJ dysfunction can vary from mild to excruciating, and it’s important to get medical treatment if you think you may have the above symptoms.
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) can be caused by a wide variety of dental issues. Though it is usually due to a variety of different factors, the most common cause of jaw pain is bruxism, also known as teeth grinding.
When you grind your teeth, excessive pressure is put on the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of your jaw. This can cause the TMJ to become displaced, leading to the aforementioned symptoms.
Other causes of TMD can include arthritis, traumatic injury, improper bite, or a malpositioned jawbone. To understand the cause of your TMJ disorder, it’s best to consult with a professional, like Dr. Charles Schof of the Mandeville Center for Dental Excellence.
The treatment of TMJ dysfunction depends on the severity of the condition. For mild cases of TMJ dysfunction, basic self-care – resting the joint and application of heating or ice packs – can help the muscles relax and recover.
Other treatment options include mouth guards in cases of bruxism, or an oral appliance designed to relax the jaw muscles and improve bite alignment. In severe cases, surgery may be required to re-make the bite entirely, though this is quite rare.
If you’re looking for a Mandeville TMJ treatment, look no further than Dr. Charles Schof. He specializes in the treatment of difficult TMJ and TMD disorders. He has studied at the Dawson Institute as well as the Piper Education & Research Center, two of the most prestigious TMJ treatment institutes in the nation.
At The Mandeville Center For Dental Excellence, Dr. Schof can treat jaw pain caused by bruxism and teeth grinding, and utilize advanced TMJ treatment methods to provide you with pain relief and restore your jaw to its normal function.
If you believe you have a TMJ dysfunction and are in need of treatment, call The Mandeville Center For Dental Excellence today at (985) 626-4401, or visit us in person at 240 Dalwill Drive, Mandeville, La. 70471.
