We are accepting new TMJ patients in the Roseville area who suffer from painful symptoms of TMD and TMJ misalignment. Symptoms such as migraines and tingling in the fingertips can seem completely unrelated to your jaw but connect to many body systems TMJ dentists take into consideration the entire system that controls the position and function of your jaw. By looking at the way your jaw and teeth align, we can identify why you are having pain in your jaw, neck, or even upper back. Occlusion is the process of closing your jaw and bringing the teeth together in a terminal position–This is your bite. When teeth don’t fit together, muscles have to work harder to bring your bite together, which can cause painful symptoms.
TMJ dentists in Roseville seek to establish a harmonious relationship between your teeth, muscles, and jaw joints. Our TMJ dentists conduct a variety of tests to determine your bite. They will then provide Non-Surgical TMJ therapy to help relieve your symptoms.
TMJ dentists provide custom orthotics for temporary or semi-permanent treatment. These orthotics differ from traditional splints and bite guards, which do not account for correcting your bite. Traditional splints and guards can allow grinding and leave other symptoms unaddressed.
Many patients find that the orthotic corrects their bite and relieves their painful symptoms. In this case, you can continue to use this non-permanent device. In other cases, you may choose to undergo treatment to have your bite corrected.
GNEUROMUSCULAR A Blended Approach
GNATHOS Greek for Jaw (Gnathology) “the study of the jaw
NEURO Nerves, Trigeminal V System
MUSCULAR-Muscles, Masticatory System
Gneuromuscular Dentistry – Is the next level of advancement past traditional neuromuscular dentistry. It is a combined understanding and application of special skill sets required to effectively treat more complicated cases such as joint derangement, non reduced or non-captured articular discs.
When the harmony of the teeth, jaw muscles, and the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) no longer exist, it called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). The acronym for TMJ and TMD are generally used when describing symptoms associated with TMJ. There are specific treatments designed to help ease your discomfort, so there is no need to suffer anymore! Some of the symptoms most cited by TMJ patients are:
Migraine Headaches (tension-type)
Snoring
Pain behind the eyes
Back/neck pain
Jaw joint pain
Jaw joint clicking or popping
Limited mouth opening
Sinus-like symptoms
Visual disturbances
Dizziness
Ringing in ears or tinnitus
Difficulty swallowing
Loose teeth
Clenching or grinding
Facial pain
Ear congestion
Sensitive teeth
Chewing difficulties
Neck pain
Postural problems
Tingling of the fingertips
Hot/cold sensitivity
Nervousness or insomnia
Teeth grinding or bruxism is a condition that affects both adults and children. Some people clench their teeth together during the day, often when they feel anxious or stressed. People who suffer from bruxism also grind or gnash their teeth during sleep.
In most cases, bruxism is mild and may not even need treatment. If it is ongoing and violent, it may lead to jaw disorders, headaches, or damaged, worn or chipped teeth. Unfortunately, people who suffer from sleep bruxism aren’t usually aware of the habit. They are never diagnosed with the problem until some damage has already occurred. That is why it is essential to know the signs and symptoms of bruxism and to seek the care of a TMJ dentist near you in Roseville. Bruxism symptoms include:
Teeth grinding or clenching which may be loud enough to wake your partner
Teeth that are worn down, flattened, or chipped
Worn tooth enamel exposing the inside of your tooth
Increased tooth sensitivity
Jaw pain or tightness in your jaw muscles
Earache resulting from violent jaw muscle contractions
Dull morning headache
Chronic facial pain
Chewed tissue on the inside of your cheek.
1. Restore normal blood flow to the muscles
Eliminate nerve and vascular entrapments
Eliminate myofascial trigger and muscle spasm
Restore postural relationships – including posture of the mandible to the skull, and posture of the mandible to head
This is a battery operated electrical muscle stimulator that delivers a mild electrical stimulus to the muscles of the face and jaw. The purpose is to exercise these muscles and to cause them to relax.
This provides a picture of what is happening with your muscles and joints as you perform a full range of motions.
This provides information on the activity of key muscles that control the jaw during various functions as well as at rest
Assesses the status of the articular disk and jaw joint function.
The tests performed by our TMJ dentists determine if your bite needs to change. If a more optimal occlusion (bite) is determined they will prescribe an appliance called an orthotic to keep your new bite in position. This orthotic differs from a splint or bite guard in that the orthotic is custom created from a mold taken of your teeth in the optimal bite position. Traditional splints and bite guards do not correct the bite.
You may wear this orthotic as an interim step to confirm that this new jaw position solves or reduces the problem. If it does solve your problem, then you may continue to use the orthotic as a non-permanent device. You may elect to have your natural teeth treated to maintain this new bite position. If your symptoms do not resolve as a result of the orthotic, your natural bite has not been altered, and other causes may then be further explored with Dr. Kwan or Dr. Hsu.
It’s not uncommon for patients with TMJ to experience many years of pain before receiving an accurate diagnosis and finding relief. While orthotic treatments can help many patients, some cases call for a more comprehensive approach. A patient whose TMJ condition requires more than what orthotic treatment can deliver may respond well to full mouth rejuvenation.
It is essential to understand that it is not the technology that will treat the TMJ patient’s symptoms and disorders, but merely the many tools, science, and knowledge available to us to accurately diagnose clearly and treat according to the issues at hand.
