The Stow Dental Group Blog

TMJ stands for the Temporomandibular Joint; TMD is the acronym used for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, which is a "bad bite." TMJ and TMD are often used synonymously to mean the painful disorder of having a misaligned bite. Occlusion is the dental term for a bite. If you have malocclusion, your teeth are meeting incorrectly and one or both temporomandibular joints are misaligned.

The bite is a triangular mechanism between the chin and the two jaw joints. These joints are delicate and can be gradually pushed out of alignment by, for example, a teeth grinding habit, or they can be knocked out of alignment in something like a car accident or sports accident. Most people who suffer from TMJ are unaware of it. They certainly notice their painful or uncomfortable symptoms, but do not realize there is a dental cause for them.

Extensive and Varied TMJ Symptoms
Since the jaw area is closely connected through bones, muscles and nerves to the throat, neck, and shoulders, and also to the skull and thereby to the upper vertebrae, especially the top vertebra (the atlas), inflammation in the jaw muscles can cause symptoms throughout all these areas. Your posture may be affected, which may in turn cause back pain or other discomfort.

How simple things become once you are examined by a qualified neuromuscular dentist and learn that the small ball-and-socket joints in front of each ear are at the source of the problems. The diagnostic process itself, when a TENS unit is used (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), relaxes the tense jaw muscles, perhaps for the first time in years, and places the jaw in its correct position. This provides immediate pain relief.

Planning Your TMJ Treatment
Now that your neuromuscular dentist has established your correct jaw position, he has the goal of your treatment plan - to make it permanent. Perhaps some dental work is needed, such as dental crowns to slightly reshape teeth that bump each other when the jaw is correctly aligned. A new and improved bridge might help, or a porcelain inlay or onlay to replace a failing metal filling.

Most TMJ treatment plans include use of a dental appliance to help retrain the jaw muscles. These appliances are like sports mouthguards in that they fit snugly over the teeth, but each is custom-designed to apply the right pressures to coax the jaw back to its correct position. They are often worn at night but depending on the severity of the problem can sometimes require 24/7 wear until symptoms abate.

If you are wondering whether you might have TMJ, please contact Stow Dental Group today for a consultation and comprehensive dental exam. We serve the areas of Stow and Akron-Canton in Ohio and we look forward to talking with you.