The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge that connects your jawbone to the rest of your skull and allows you to perform daily functions like talking, chewing, and yawning. Its counterpart, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), is just about as painful as the word sounds.
When the TMJ is working normally it’s easy to not notice it, but when you are experiencing jaw pain you can quickly realize how vital it is.
Symptoms of TMD
When the TMJ is not working the way that it should, you can feel intense and unbearable pain due to the pressure—even extending far beyond your mouth and face.
Symptoms can range to include any of the following:
- Pain in your face or jaw area.
- Clicking or popping of your jaw.
- Locking of your jaw.
- Frequent headaches or migraines,
- Neck and shoulder pain.
Because the pain is not always located directly in the jaw, TMD can sometimes be tricky to diagnose—plus, there are multiple things that can cause you to feel the symptoms of TMD. These include grinding your teeth at night, a blow or whiplash during an accident, a misaligned jaw, or even stress.
If you’ve been feeling one or more of these TMD symptoms, call our office today to schedule a consultation.
Benefits of TMD/TMJ Treatment in Littleton, CO
Our TMJ treatment provides headache relief and will also help alleviate any other symptoms that you are experiencing.
The benefits of having your TMD treated are many:
- Protect your teeth. If you suffer from bruxism or are grinding or clenching your teeth at night, it can cause tension in your jaw and wear down and damage your teeth. TMJ treatment can help relieve this problem and save your teeth in the long run.
- Relieve your migraines and headaches. The constant pressure put on your jaw translates into headaches and pain in your neck, face, shoulders, and upper back. Our treatment will take care of this so that you don’t have to keep suffering through it.
- Enjoy eating and talking without pain. Eating is not a fun experience when it’s filled with jaw pain. With our TMJ treatment, we can help you enjoy your favorite meal and see you smiling and laughing with your friends once more!
Treatments for TMJ Disorder
Here at Dr. Burdick’s office, we offer multiple methods of TMJ treatment, so we can find the one that works best for you.
Bite Splint
A bite splint is a removable appliance that we custom-create for you which repositions your jaw while you wear it to prevent your teeth from grinding and clenching. This will not only protect your teeth, but also reduce the tension in your TMJ as well as relieving the pain caused by that tension throughout your body.
Your bite splint will generally be worn at night while you sleep, though depending on your case, we may recommend wearing it more frequently.
Botox
We proudly offer Botox treatment for TMD! Botox is a great tool for relaxing muscles, so to use it for TMJ treatment, we will make a small injection in the muscles surrounding the TMJ. Like the bite splint, this will reduce the tension in and around your TMJ and stop the uncomfortable symptoms that come with TMD.
A Botox treatment will last for several months at a time, but should you notice your TMD symptoms returning, come in for another dose.
Quality Care From a Quality Doctor
When you come to our office for treatment, you can be assured that you’re receiving dental care from a skilled dentist with many accreditations and continuing education experiences to his name. He is a member of the following professional organizations:
Contact Us to Begin Your Treatment
If you have TMD, you don’t have to live with the pain! Call us today for a consultation so you can get started on your TMJ treatment and headache relief. Dr. Burdick, DDS, has years of experience, and he understands facial pain. Together, our team can help get you the diagnosis and treatment you need to get back to a healthy, pain-free life.