At Kesteven Dental Care Studio, we offer treatment for temporomandibular joint disorder. Often called TMJ, this condition of the jaws may be caused by arthritis, dislocation, an injury, poor tooth and jaw alignment and grinding of the teeth. Every person has two temporomandibular joints, one on each side of the mouth. These joints are responsible for allowing you to open and close your mouth. When you are experiencing pain or dysfunction, we can help you with a variety of treatment options.
Lifestyle Changes
Dr. Kesteven and our dental hygienists are able to help you with some lifestyle changes that may be enough to treat your TMJ. We often recommend eating softer foods, using relaxation techniques to reduce stress and applying heat for 10 to 15 minutes to the place where your jaws meet. Avoiding chewing non-food items and not biting your fingernails may also help reduce TMJ discomfort.
Night Guards
A night guard or bite plate is another treatment that we offer. We can take impressions to create a custom mold just for you. For the daytime hours, we may recommend that you use an over-the-counter pain relief medication to help with your symptoms for a short period. Muscle relaxants may also help to reduce tightness in the muscles of your jaws.
Surgical Treatments
When all other treatments for TMJ are proven to be ineffective for your symptoms, surgical care may be an option for your dysfunction. Some surgical methods used to treat TMJ disorders include orthodontic treatment to realign your bite or surgery to repair damaged tissue. Another surgical option is arthroscopic surgery. This surgery is performed on the temporomandibular joint in order to restore proper movement and a full range of motion and is similar to knee or shoulder surgery.
If you are in need of treatment for TMJ, contact us at Kesteven Dental Care Studio today. We’d love to get you started on the path to pain relief.
