Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart strives to help his patients achieve and maintain healthy, high quality lives, and, sometimes, this goes beyond the basic health of your teeth and gums. One of Dr. Stewart’s areas of expertise is treatment for TMJ conditions to help his patients restore function, comfort, and ease to their daily lives.
Why TMJ is Painful
Your TMJ—short for temporomandibular joint—is one of the most complex joints in your body and is responsible for all movement of your jaw, including speaking, yawning, biting, chewing, and—most importantly—opening and closing your mouth. Anytime the alignment of your jaw is out of place, often as a result of injury, bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching), or a bad bite relationship, TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) can occur, and the result can be painful.
This pain is caused by the added stress and strain placed on the muscles and nerves surrounding the TMJ. For many patients, TMJ pain affects the head, neck, mouth, jaw, shoulders, or lower back. You might also experience worn teeth, bruxism, a clicking or popping noise when you move your jaw, ringing in your ears, and other symptoms.
Treatment for TMJ Dysfunction
Because your TMJ is responsible for so much movement, you should not delay treatment at the first signs of trouble. Because, however, TMJ dysfunction is such a complex and delicate condition, you should only receive treatment from an expert. To diagnose and treat your TMJ condition, Dr. Stewart will start by assessing your symptoms and jaw position at your consultation appointment.
Through physical manipulation of the jaw, discussion of your symptoms, and evaluation of your tooth wear, Dr. Stewart will diagnose your condition and discuss possible treatments with you. Often, treatments for TMD include oral appliances to reposition your jaw and behavioral changes to relax your muscles.
If you experience the above symptoms and want to find relief, it’s time to call Livonia dentist Dr. Stewart at (734) 425-4400 to reserve your consultation appointment.