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TMJ & TMD Troubles Your Guide to Understanding and Treating TMJ & TMD

Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?

  • Pain or discomfort

  • Difficulty opening wide

  • Clicking or popping sounds

  • Headaches

  • Facial fatigue

  • Bite problems

  • Lock Jaw (Trismus)

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Contact us today!

Imagine your jaw as a complex hinge that allows you to open and close your mouth. This hinge is called the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ for short. It's located right in front of your ears on both sides of your face.

Now, sometimes, things can go a bit haywire with this hinge, and that's what we call Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD. It's like having a problem with the hinge on a door; it can make it hard to open and close smoothly.

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Causes of TMD

Jaw Injury: Sometimes, if you've had a heavy blow to your jaw or an accident like whiplash, it can mess up the way your jaw works. It's like if you bumped a door really hard, it might not close properly afterward.

Teeth Grinding or Clenching: Imagine your teeth are like puzzle pieces, and they're supposed to fit together just right. But if you grind or clench your teeth a lot, it's like trying to force puzzle pieces together when they don't quite match. This can strain your jaw.

Dislocated Jaw: Your jaw is like a ball and socket joint. If that ball slips out of place, it can make your jaw feel all wonky and not work as smoothly as it should.

Arthritis: Sometimes, just like other joints in your body, your jaw joint can develop arthritis. This can make it painful and difficult to move, like a creaky old door.

Stress: Stress can do strange things to your body, including making your jaw muscles tense up. Think of it like clenching your fists when you're stressed; it's similar for your jaw muscles, and that tension can lead to TMD.

So, in a nutshell, TMD is like your jaw's way of telling you that something isn't quite right, and it needs some attention to feel better.

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Symptoms

If you have TMD, you might experience things like:

  • Pain or discomfort: You may feel pain in your face, jaw, neck, and even around your ears, especially when you chew or speak.
  • Difficulty opening wide: Your jaw might feel stiff, and it could be tough to open your mouth fully.
  • Clicking or popping sounds: Sometimes, when you move your jaw, you hear strange noises, like clicking or popping, which can be unsettling.
  • Headaches: TMD can often cause headaches, which can be pretty bothersome.
  • Facial fatigue: Your facial muscles might feel tired or achy.
  • Bite problems: Your teeth might not fit together correctly, causing discomfort when you bite down.
  • Lock Jaw: Also known as trismus, is a condition where your jaw muscles spasm or tighten, making it difficult or even impossible to open your mouth fully. This can be a particularly distressing symptom of TMD, affecting your ability to eat, speak, and perform everyday activities comfortably.

Treatments

Treatments

At Smith Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer a range of treatments to address your TMD concerns:

  1.  Trigger-Point Injections: To alleviate pain, we inject pain medication or anesthesia into specific tender facial muscles known as "trigger points."
  2. Medications: Your dentist may prescribe anti-inflammatories for pain and swelling, recommend a muscle relaxer for teeth grinding, and suggest anti-anxiety medication for stress-related issues, all of which can help manage pain.
  3. Splint or Night Guard: We provide plastic mouthpieces that fit over your upper and/or lower teeth. Night guards are worn during sleep, while splints are used throughout the day, depending on your needs. They prevent teeth from touching, reduce grinding effects, and improve your bite by positioning your teeth correctly.
  4. Dental Work: If you have missing teeth or bite problems, our dentist can replace missing teeth and use crowns, bridges, or braces to align your bite and balance your biting surfaces.

Reviews

Today was my second 5-star visit at Smith Family Dentistry. The staff is polite, friendly, and efficient, the offices are modern and clean, and you feel welcomed from the moment you walk in the door until the moment you leave. I have seen 2 of the dentists on staff and they were extremely competent as well as charismatic and kind. I also was able to schedule both appointments less than 24 hours out from when I called to schedule. Service this good seems too good to be true, but after 2 visits I can confidently say it's not -- they're great!

Samantha L.

My children and I all go to the Sneads Ferry location for all our dental needs. During our last visit, my youngest had to get a cavity filled. From the time we walked in (Mary Beth) until the end teamwork (Taylor), we were thoroughly pleased! Dr. Silva and Ms. Linda did an outstanding job taking care of my son (which this momma truly appreciated!) They were all friendly and welcoming! I would highly recommend this location!

Tonya S.

Absolutely loved it! Was handled by Kristine and she was so helpful and was able to answer every question I asked! Had my four year old daughter with me and she interacted with her and played with her some. It was just too good! Definitely recommend to anyone and everyone! Hopefully you get Kristine and have as good of an experience as I did!

Matthew L.

An amazing practice for both adults and children. I had my bottom two wisdom teeth taken out here and like many, I was extremely nervous. However, Dr. Smith and his assistants were very understanding of my fear of the dentist and always made me feel at ease. I recommend speaking with Marybeth in the front office, she’s always done a phenomenal job taking care of any of my billing questions and questions in general. She’s very professional, patient and kind.

Jaci C.

Me, my husband, and our child all go to Dr. Smith's office and we love it! Very nice office and very friendly employees. Sarah Bailey is usually our hygienist and she's great! Even though we moved out of SF, we still go there because we like it so much. Highly recommend!

Sarah C.