TMJ

Many people suffer from TMJ and never know it. These people treat their symptoms with pain medications often prescribed by doctors and never address the cause of the symptoms: tempromandibular joint disorder. TMJ caused chronic and persistent head, neck or jaw pain. This can include migraine headaches. And, not all symptoms are localized to the head, neck and jaw. TMJ also can cause numbness in the arm, back pain and problems with the ears.

Neuromuscular dentistry focuses on the healthy relationship among the teeth, jaw joints, and head and neck muscles. Many people live with the pain of TMJ (temporomandibular joint) on a daily basis because of a lack of diagnosis. And, health care professionals frequently miss this diagnosis, leading to pain prescriptions instead of treatments. Neuromuscular dentistry treats TMJ at its root cause, not at its symptoms. Frequently, people will seek out treatment for the symptoms caused by TMJ, not the true problem. The problem is that TMJ can cause pain in a number of places that do not seem related to the alignment of teeth, making it difficult to diagnose.

Jaw pain is a very common symptom of TMJ because it is a dysfunction of the jaw joint. A “bad bite” in which your upper and lower teeth do not come together in proper alignment also disrupts the placement of the jaw and the surrounding muscles. This imbalance in the bite-jaw-muscle relationship is what causes the pain in the jaw.

Dr. Amy Norman is trained in neuromuscular dentistry and we can help alleviate jaw pain related to TMJ by realigning the bite. Once the jaw is back into its most relaxed position the surrounding muscles can also resume their natural function.

A clicking jaw, popping jaw, or snapping in the jaw joint is the most common symptom of TMJ. So, is a persistent and chronic headache. There may or may not be pain in the jaw when the clicking or popping sound is heard. Neuromuscular dentistry works to realign the bite, which also realigns the jaw and eliminates these symptoms. If have any of these symptoms or have chronic pains that can only be dulled with ongoing use of prescription medication, please contact us today for a consultation.

Dr. Norman’s practice offers a wide range of cosmetic, restoration and family dentistry services. Click on a service below to find out more information and how our team can assist you.