TREATING TMJ AT CORNERSTONE DENTAL CENTRE

Oral health doesn’t only include your teeth and gums. Your jaw joints, known as temporomandibular joints, are critical to your oral health. When your jaw is misaligned, you may hear clicking and popping noises when you open and shut your mouth. Cornerstone Dental Centre provides TMJ disorder treatment in Fort Saskatchewan, AB. TMJ can cause severe pain and limit your mobility. We’ll help you find relief with TMJ dental treatments. Contact us today to learn more or make an appointment.

WHAT IS TMJ DISORDER?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) involves the misalignment of the jaw. The temporomandibular joint connects your lower jaw to your skull. TMD can cause severe pain throughout the body because the joint performs daily functions like chewing, talking, and yawning.

TMD SYMPTOMS

The severity of TMJ symptoms can vary from mild to debilitating. The most common TMJ symptoms include:

Extreme jaw pain
Stiff muscles around your jaws
Chronic migraine headaches
Popping or clicking in the jaw
Neck, back, and shoulder pain
Difficulty chewing
Limited jaw mobility
Earaches
Ringing in your ears

WHAT ARE COMMON TMD CAUSES?

Since the temporomandibular joints connect your lower jaw to your skull, they have critical nerves. Many issues can stress this region’s nerves, joints, and muscles. The most common causes of TMD include:

A blow to the jaw
Grinding your teeth
A misaligned jaw
Arthritis
Clenching your jaws due to stress
Disc dislocation between the jaw joint’s ball and socket

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR TMD?

It is possible to have TMD without any risk factors, but some factors increase the likelihood of developing TMD. The most common risk factors for TMD include:

Clenching your teeth
Bad posture
Stress
Misaligned bite
Jaw deformities
Jaw trauma
Arthritis

WHAT ARE TMJ HEADACHES?

TMD may cause TMD headaches. The temporomandibular joint is a busy and powerful joint with many blood vessels, nerves, and muscles surrounding it. If you have minor headaches or migraines, they may be caused by the inflammation or stress of the temporomandibular joint.

TMD TREATMENT

We will consult with you about the best TMD treatment to fit your needs. The most common forms of TMJ disorder treatments include:

Resting your jaw
Applying ice and heat
Night guards or splints
Prescription medication
Botox therapy
Dental treatments to help align teeth

FREQUENTLY ASKED TMJ TREATMENT QUESTIONS

DOES TMD REQUIRE SURGERY?
No, surgery is not the first option for treating TMD. You should consider surgery when conservative treatments cannot manage your symptoms.

WILL TMD TREATMENTS ALLEVIATE MY FACIAL PAIN?
Yes, each phase of TMJ treatment helps to address your facial pain. We work on stabilizing the jaw to resolve your facial pain.

DO POPPING JAW JOINTS MEAN I HAVE TMD?
It is possible you have TMD if you have popping joints, but we will not diagnose you with TMD for only popping joints. Popping joints could indicate a temporary misalignment of your jaw.

HOW IS TMD DIAGNOSED?
We conduct an extensive oral exam to determine if you have TMJ disorder.