If you’ve been experiencing headaches, dizziness, or tingling in your fingers, you might be surprised to learn that the source of the problem could be your jaw. These are some of the complaints from patients who suffer a condition known as temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.
What exactly is TMD?
If you’ve heard of TMJ, you might have wondered if it is the same condition as TMD. They are different, although there’s a link between them.
TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint. The TMJ is made up of two sets of joints that enable your jawbone to slide and rotate. When at least one of these joints develops an inflammation and becomes painful, the resulting condition is called TMD.
What Patients Experience
Patients can experience many different symptoms, including:
- Soreness or discomfort in the jaw, especially in the morning or late afternoon
- Pain radiating to your face, shoulder, neck, back, or behind your eyes
- Ringing in your ears or an earache
- Jaw locking, popping, or clicking
- Limited mouth motions
- Tooth sensitivity
- A different fit between your upper and lower teeth
How it’s Treated
Using patented TruDenta® technology, Dr. Gregory Weaver will measure the opening and closing of your mouth to determine the forces generating pressure in your head, neck and jaw. Other important factors are the extent of the disorder, the expected course of the condition, and how well you’re able to tolerate certain therapies. Your opinion and your preferences should always be part of any TMD treatment decision.
Our team at Weaver Dentistry can suggest many treatment options, starting with the most conservative:
- Resting the TMJ
- Use of stress management and relaxation techniques
- Therapy to reduce clenching your teeth
- Physical therapy
- Mouthguard or other type of oral device
- Posture training
- Changing your diet to give jaw muscles a rest
- Applying ice and hot packs
- Surgery
To learn more about temporomandibular disorders, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Weaver, please give us a call at our convenient Raleigh, NC office!