If someone asks you if TMJ disorder is affecting your oral health but you have never even heard of a TMJ, chances are good that you will not know what to say. However, that will not change anything if you are dealing with daily discomfort like jaw soreness and chronic headaches. We encourage you to get to know more about the symptoms of TMJ issues because long-term damage is preventable and we can alleviate your discomfort with noninvasive treatment. By recognizing the symptoms, you will know just what to say when we ask you if TMJ problems are affecting your life. The answer will be, “Yes, and I’m ready for treatment.”
Let’s break this down step by step. First, your TMJs are your “temporomandibular joints.” These joints connect your jaw to the rest of your skull, while providing motion to your jaw – this allows you to open your mouth, close your mouth, and move your lower jaw to both sides. Sometimes, your TMJs stop functioning up to their full potential, which can result in some frustrating, uncomfortable side effects. When this happens, we refer to it as TMJ disorder or TMD.
There is no one set of underlying causes or one particular set of symptoms. This disorder is often unique to each patient. However, you may be able to narrow down whether TMD is affecting you by identifying with the following common symptoms:
If these symptoms resonate with you, we encourage you to schedule a visit with us today.
Scott Dooley DDS and our friendly team at Scott Dooley Dentistry proudly serve patients of every age, offering general, cosmetic, restorative, emergency, laser, and sedation dentistry. We proudly serve patients from Garland, Richardson, Dallas, Wylie, Sachse, and surrounding communities. To speak with a friendly member of our team and to schedule an appointment, contact us today at 972.495.8100.