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Many people suffer from a condition called TMJ disorder, which causes popping, stiffness, and/or pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints. TMJ disorder, or TMD, can be a real nuisance, making it difficult to open and close your mouth, speak, and chew. If you are experiencing jaw pain or have a popping jaw, our dentists highly recommend trying TMJ therapy to set things straight.

There are many causes of TMJ dysfunction, including facial injuries, jawbone deterioration, arthritis, tooth grinding, tooth clenching, stress, muscle tension, and dentures, as well as nervous habits, like chewing your cheeks, biting your lips, or biting your nails. Most often, TMJ disorders are temporary, and they can usually be corrected if the disks that connect the temporomandibular joints to the jawbone have not slipped to the point of deterioration.

At Trillium Dental, we offer TMJ treatments for patients who are suffering from jaw pain or a popping, clicking jaw as the result of a TMD. Our dentists have years of experience treating TMJ disorders, and we are confident that we can provide relief and help realign your jaw into its proper position. Here’s what you need to know about our TMJ treatments:

PROVIDES PAIN RELIEF

Our TMJ treatments use a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator) unit, which relaxes the jaw to provide relief for painful symptoms. Often, people with TMJ disorders endure painful symptoms, like jaw pain, headaches, and jaw popping and cracking. When you visit our local dental clinic for your TMJ treatment, we’ll relax your jaw to relieve these symptoms and drain the lactic acid from the facial muscles. Then, we’ll be able to determine the condition, disease, or temporary issue that is causing your jaw to pop or become stiff and painful, so we can form a plan to address it.

REALIGNS THE JAW

When your jaw is relaxed, our dentists will be able to determine your correct jaw position and create a custom orthotic to adjust your jaw into its ideal alignment. We’ll take measurements of your mouth with our Myotronics K7 system, which will help us determine what specific corrections need to be made. Once we’ve created your mouth guard, you can begin retraining your jaw in accordance with the ideal bite (occlusion) and correct your misaligned jaw over time.

A LASTING SOLUTION

Part of what differentiates our TMJ treatments from those offered by other family dental clinics in Ottawa is that we offer a lasting solution to your painful, popping jaw. Rather than simply massaging the area and giving you advice about how to nurse your jaw back to health at home, we do the work for you by relaxing your jaw and taking steps to correct your TMJ disorder. Many patients have been able to overcome their TMDs with our TENS unit and custom mouth guards, and you can, too.

TRY OUR TMJ TREATMENTS IN OTTAWA

At this point, you might be wondering if TMJ therapy is right for you. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until you visit one of our dental offices in Ottawa for a consultation with one of our family dentists. Though we won’t be able to correct every TMJ disorder (slipped disks and extreme jaw deterioration are a different story), we would be more than happy to assess your situation and determine whether or not you’d be a good candidate for TMJ treatment.

At Trillium Dental, we have found the most success treating TMJ disorders in patients with misaligned jaws. If you are wondering whether or not TMJ therapy is right for you, consider these signs of a misaligned jaw:

• Headaches and/or migraines
• Pain in the jaw, neck, and/or face
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Difficulty chewing and/or speaking
• Facial spasms
• Toothaches
• Lockjaw and/or jaw popping
• Ringing ears and/and earaches
• Numb, tingling fingertips

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s worth visiting your local dentist and inquiring about different TMJ treatments. In the meantime, you can relieve any painful symptoms by taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, and massaging the area. Warm and cold compresses are also beneficial, as alternating warm and cold packs helps to increase blood flow to the area. Also try to refrain from overextending when you open your mouth, as this can result in lockjaw.

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TMJ dysfunction (also known as TMJ disorder, TMJD, or TMD) is a common problem that many people face, causing them to seek TMJ treatment at their local dental clinic or doctor’s office. Despite the prevalence of TMJ disorder, there are no standard medications or remedies for this condition, which has led medical professionals to get creative in terms of neuromuscular dentistry treatments and therapies. At Trillium Dental in Ottawa, we offer bruxism and TMJ treatments involving the use of a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator) unit that helps to realign the jaw into its correct position with a custom-made orthotic. Contact us today to learn more, or continue reading for some basic information about TMDs.

CAUSES OF TMJ DISORDER CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE

Unlike other dental problems, such as gum disease, oral cancer, and tooth cavities, there are many possible causes of TMJ disorder, and some patients have a combination of two or more causes. These include:

• Traumatic facial injury — in some cases, patients with a TMD have suffered a facial injury that has affected their temporomandibular joint and/or the surrounding jawbone. This can cause the jawbone to be misaligned, leading to jaw pain and inhibited jaw movement.
• Teeth grinding — dental patients who perpetually clench or grind their teeth (known as bruxism) are at a heightened risk of developing a TMD, as this can interfere with the natural sliding hinge function of the jawbone. If you grind or clench your teeth, talk to your dentist about prevention methods, such as night guards for your teeth.
• Arthritis — arthritis affects the cartilage and joints in the body, and it is not particularly uncommon for patients with arthritis to also experience jaw pain or discomfort. Arthritis can damage the temporomandibular joint, causing TMJ problems, such as neck and facial pain, difficulty chewing, and more.
• Disc erosion/dislocation — since each temporomandibular joint fits to the jawbone’s socket and ball with a disc, erosion or dislocation of these discs can cause a TMD. A dental x-ray is required to determine whether or not this is the case, so be sure to consult your family dentist if you think you have an eroded or dislocated disc.

Read More: Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)

SYMPTOMS OF A TMD CAN OCCUR ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE FACE

The human jawbone has a temporomandibular joint on both sides, allowing you to open and close your mouth in a sliding hinge motion. Given the potential causes of TMJ disorders listed above, it is possible that you can experience symptoms of a TMD on one or both sides of the face. Here are the most common TMD symptoms that patients experience:

• Jaw pain — jaw pain is the most common symptom of TMJ disorder; however, it is important to note that jaw pain can be caused by a number of things, including earaches and sinus infections. If you are experiencing chronic jaw pain that lasts longer than a few weeks, see your local dentist about possible TMJ pain treatments.
• Facial soreness — many people with a TMD will also experience soreness in other areas of the face, including the temples, forehead muscles, and even the ears. This is another reason why it’s important to rule out other medical issues before pursuing TMJ treatment; you may simply have a sinus infection or other illness.
• Popping jaw — If the disks in either side of your jaw pop or click when you open and close your mouth, this could be a symptom of a TMD. Often, this causes pain, so be sure to check in with your family dentist if your jaw constantly makes a popping or clicking sound and this is accompanied by jaw pain or headaches.
• Noise when chewing — a grinding or crunching noise when you chew is another possible indication of a TMD. This is because the natural hinge movement of the disks is inhibited when the temporomandibular joint is injured or deteriorated, causing a grinding sound when it would otherwise be silent.
• Limited jaw movement — many people with a TMD experience trouble opening their mouths, whether that be due to lockjaw or just difficulty opening their mouth more than a few centimeters wide. It is not uncommon for patients with a TMJ disorder to also experience pain when they open and close their mouths, so check in with a doctor or dentist if this is the case.
• Headaches — headaches are another common sign of TMJ disorders, but as with jaw pain, headaches are caused by a number of things, like stress, illness, dehydration, medication, hangovers, etc. Visit your family dentist if you are experiencing headaches in addition to any of the other TMD symptoms listed above.

DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT VARIES BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL

Given that there is no streamlined process for diagnosing and treating TMJ disorder, each dentist and doctor will have a slightly different process for addressing TMDs. Some may simply take an x-ray and offer advice with regard to pain medications, while others might offer TMJ therapy options, known as neuromuscular dentistry techniques. Biofeedback techniques are sometimes used, as are other relaxation methods such as the TENS unit we use here at Trillium Dental.

When you visit our Ottawa dental clinic for TMJ pain, our dentists will take an x-ray to determine whether there is an issue with your temporomandibular joints. We will also feel your jaw and ask about the symptoms you have been experiencing, whether that be jaw pain, a popping jaw, or any other kind of facial soreness. If our dentists believe you would be a good candidate for our TMJ treatment, we will schedule a separate appointment where we can use the TENS unit to your ideal jaw alignment. This allows us to create a custom mouthpiece for you to wear as you retrain your jaw into its natural position, thus reducing or eliminating painful TMD symptoms.

SCHEDULE A TMJ TREATMENT IN OTTAWA

At Trillium Dental, we regularly treat patients with TMJ disorders by fixing uneven bites with custom orthodontics. Contact us today to learn more about our TMJ treatments, or visit us today in Alta Vista, Kanata, Orleans, Stittsville, Stittsville West, Downtown Ottawa, or the Bayshore and Westgate Malls. We look forward to helping you live without jaw pain!

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