TMJ Treatment

A painful jaw can lead to trouble chewing and speaking and cause jaw locking. At Impressive Dental Care in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Lea Planzos, DMD, MS, Penny Planzos, DMD, MS, and Thomas Planzos, DMD, provide several temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) treatments. Call Impressive Dental Care today or go online to schedule a TMJ treatment consultation.

What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is a complication affecting the joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull at the temples. These joints, called hinge joints, are prone to wear-and-tear just like other joints in your body. TMJ is often caused by damage to the muscles and ligaments around the joints.

Any damage to the supportive structures in your TMJ can result in inflammation and irritation. For some people, TMJ is a temporary problem that eventually goes away. But others experience it as a chronic problem, causing long-term discomfort, grating sensations when moving your jaw, and jaw locking.

Impressive Dental Care evaluates your jaw after going over your medical history and discussing your symptoms. They often use X-rays to assess the damage to your temporomandibular joints.

What are the most common symptoms of TMJ?

TMJ affects the jaw in various ways, and deterioration of the joint can lead to several symptoms. You might experience:

• Jaw pain
• Jaw clicking with movement
• Grating sensation when you move your jaw
• Ear pain
• Painful chewing
• Jaw locking

If your TMJ symptoms persist, you should schedule an appointment at Impressive Dental Care. 

How is TMJ initially treated?

TMJ treatment manages your TMJ symptoms so that you can continue to chew and speak without difficulty. After evaluating your temporomandibular joints, your Impressive Dental Care dentist will make treatment recommendations appropriate to your level of damage.

Initially, you can try to manage your TMJ symptoms on your own. TMJ often responds well to heat or cold packs, and eating soft foods reduces the stress placed on the joints.

If home care doesn’t improve your TMJ, it’s time to schedule an appointment for professional treatment at Impressive Dental Care.

How does professional TMJ treatment work?

Impressive Dental Care creates a treatment strategy to reduce the damage in your jaw and promote smooth and painless jaw movement. After your evaluation, they’ll recommend one or more of these treatments:

• Splints or night guards
• Over-the-counter medication
• Corrective dental work, like crowns or braces
• Ultrasound therapy
• Joint injections
• TMJ surgery

TMJ surgery is rarely necessary, but it is available to you if no other methods have brought relief from your symptoms. Your dentist discusses your options with you in detail if it comes to needing surgery.

Call Impressive Dental Care today or book an appointment online to learn more about TMJ treatment and management.