Your temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are the natural “hinges” that allow you to open and close your mouth. These complex joints involve many structures to allow your jaw to move up, down, forward, back, and side to side. You use your TMJs anytime you move your jaw, including speaking, chewing, biting, yawning, and making facial expressions. TMJ disorders are a variety of conditions affecting the chewing muscles, the jaw joints, and the ligaments involved in opening and closing the jaw. The stiffness, pain, and discomfort involved with TMJ disorders can be incredibly disruptive to your life. They can cause you to lose sleep, make it hard to eat the foods you want, and can even lead to dislocations and so-called “locked jaw.”
TMJ disorder can start with an injury such as a fall or vehicle accident. In many cases, it develops slowly over time as a result of grinding and clenching problems. TMJ disorders can be associated with arthritis and deformations of the bones in the jaw joint itself, as well as wearing or tearing of the meniscus (the pad that cushions the bones of the jaw joint). Fortunately, our team at Riverside Dental is uniquely qualified to help you recover comfort and function with TMJ treatment in Jacksonville, FL.
Although TMJ can be very difficult to treat, you are in the best possible hands at Riverside Dental. In fact, Dr. Spencer has twenty years of experience as the TMJ policy director with BlueCross Florida. His advanced, specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ disorders from the University of Florida give him insights that can help you recover from the debilitating pain and loss of function that comes with TMJ disorders.
If you’re suffering with jaw pain, stiffness, locking, weakness, headaches, sensitive teeth, and all the other unpleasant symptoms of TMJ disorder, you know how much it can interfere with your life. TMJ problems can interrupt your sleep, leading to chronic exhaustion. Many TMJ problems come from grinding and clenching (bruxism), which can lead to a cascade of dental health problems if left untreated. Over time, bruxism can lead to broken, chipped, and worn teeth; broken dentures or other appliances; headaches and migraines; earaches and ringing in the ears; tension and pain in the head, neck, and shoulder muscles; pain and tightness in the jaws; worsening TMJ symptoms.
It’s essential that you get effective treatments to alleviate your bruxism and TMJ issues so you can resolve your pain and discomfort and avoid more severe issues down the line. Grinding, clenching, and TMJ disorders can start for a variety of reasons. Likewise, potential TMJ treatments will vary from patient to patient. Whether you need a balanced bite, an appliance to prevent grinding, relaxation exercises, or more comprehensive care, you need a dental professional who can accurately assess your unique situation and build a TMJ treatment plan that will work for you. You’ll find the answers you need to start living pain-free at Riverside Dental.
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