Tempero Mandibular Joint Dysfunction or TMD is a complicated group of conditions, often characterized by pain and limited mobility in the jaw and surrounding tissues. Very few doctors or dentists are trained properly to identify, diagnose and treat TMD.
As an affiliate of the Dawson Academy Sean Corry is in an ideal position to diagnose and treat bite problems and TMJ problems.
The TMJ is the joint between the jaw and the skull and is responsible for opening and closing the jaw. TMJ disorder is a broad term for breakdown of the jaw joint, the muscles of the face, head and neck supporting the jaw and the surrounding nerves.
What causes TMJ dysfunction?
There are a number of causes of TMJ dysfunction. These include:
– Trauma to the head or neck
– Trauma to the TMJ
– Arthritis in the TMJ
– Hormonal damage or imbalances
– Malocclusion (bite issues due to the jaws not meeting properly)
– Stress
What are the symptoms of TMJ dysfunction?
There are many different symptoms of TMD and the condition can affect different people in different ways at different times
Common symptoms include
– headaches
– shoulder neck and facial pain
– clicking or popping on opening and closing of the jaw
– locking of the jaw or limited mobility of the jaw
– teeth clenching, teeth grinding or teeth wear
– earaches
How can TMJ dysfunction be treated?
The treatment of TMJ dysfunction has three stages:
Following a comprehensive examination and diagnosis the treatment plan for a patient suffering from TMJ dysfunction will include the following elements.
First the cause of the TMJ dysfunction will be established and the symptoms be brought under control. This is normally done using any combination of a number of dental splints to correct the jaw alignment and eliminate teeth clenching or teeth grinding. These are custom made devices like gum shields which fit over your teeth and can align the jaws, prevent teeth clenching and teeth grinding.
Once the symptoms are settled the second step is to eliminate the causes of the TMJ dysfunction. In 95% of cases some bite misalignment is present and Sean at Corry Dental Care uses a number of dental corrections to eliminate the bite discrepancies.
These include reshaping the teeth either by reducing or adding to their shapes, repositioning the teeth using orthodontics or by restoring the teeth to their proper shape using composite bonding, dental crowns, porcelain veneers or dental implants.
The third stage of the treatment centres around restoring the aesthetics of the smile. The function has already been worked out in the correction stage and now it is time to restore the patients smile using a variety of techniques including composite bonding, porcelain veneers, dental crowns and dental bridges.
If you or someone you know or love is suffering from chronic headaches, TMJ pain, tooth wear or other TMJ symptoms please contact the practice on 028 79 300020 for a consultation to find if you are in that 95% of TMJ sufferers who can be helped through comprehensive dentistry at Corry Dental Care.