If you’ve been struggling with jaw pain, there’s a good chance you may be suffering from TMJ. This condition can be caused by everything from teeth grinding at night, to an actual misalignment in your jaw joint. Learn more about TMJ and how our practice in Destrehan, LA can help your jaw be pain-free again.
How Do You Know if You Have TMJ?
TMJ is technically the abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint. Recently, however, it’s evolved into a term describing dysfunction with your bite. TMJ usually leads to pain and a number of other symptoms in your jaw, mouth, and other parts of your head. It comes from a misaligned bite, crooked teeth, or teeth clenching and grinding. You can get an idea that you have TMJ if you’re experiencing the following symptoms:
- Frequent headaches
- Earaches
- Pain in one or both sides of the jaw
- Chipped, cracked, or worn teeth
- Jaw popping and clicking
How Can TMJ Pain and Symptoms be Treated?
TMJ isn’t something that just goes away on its own. In fact, if left untreated, TMJ can lead to serious dental issues and worse pain down the road. Your treatment is going to depend on what is causing the TMJ, whether is teeth grinding or something misaligned in your bite. This means that just one treatment could work, or you may need a series of treatments before you find that your symptoms are relieved.
What Treatment Options are Available?
One of the most common treatments for TMJ are nightguards. Teeth clenching and grinding often happen at night when people aren’t aware of it, leading to problems with pain and other symptoms during everyday life. A nightguard that’s customized to your specific jaw and bite can help your jaw relax at night and prevent any grinding that might be happening.
For TMJ that’s a result of a crooked bite, the best option is orthodontics. These can be used to realign the jaw and put it in alignment that it’s supposed to be. Some orthodontics can also be used to relieve some of the tension formed in the jaw that leads to pain and other issues.
With more severe cases, your teeth may already be broken or damaged. Restorative dentistry may be needed to repair these teeth and get your smile right again. Dental crowns or porcelain veneers are options that we might recommend to make sure your smile is exactly the way you want it.
TMJ Treatment in Destrehan, LA
Here at Plantation Road Dental Care, we’re prepared to take on all of your TMJ needs. We give you a full examination to ensure that we find all underlying causes of your struggles. It’s important that we make sure all of them are treated so that you don’t have to suffer in the future. For TMJ treatment and any other restorative dentistry needs you may have, call us or schedule an appointment online today!