Whether it is helping us provide a warm smile, chewing our favorite foods, or helping us speak clearly, our mouths are hard working. However, some parts work harder than others, such as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). When these joints become overworked or damaged, it can lead to conditions classified as a TMJ disorder (TMD).
Fortunately for you, Evolution Dental can provide treatment to keep this all-important joint healthy and alleviate even the most severe TMJ symptoms.
If you or a loved one have been dealing with TMD, there’s no need to go another day with the complications and discomfort it causes. Contact our office today and schedule a consultation that will get you feeling your best.
What Is TMD?
Acting like the hinge that connects our jaw to our skull, the temporomandibular joint—the TMJ—is one of the most important in our bodies. Because of this, many different factors can impact its health, so an umbrella term is used to describe temporomandibular joint disorders or dysfunction—TMD.
What factors can determine whether or not you develop TMD? Unfortunately, there are quite a few. The most common being:
- Genetics
- Inflammatory disorders like arthritis
- Excessive teeth grinding (called bruxism)
- A physical injury to the jaw or face
Do I have TMD?
Like a toothache, TMJ disorders often create Like a toothache, TMJ disorders often create noticeable pain or dental discomfort; however because the jaw is so integral to many daily functions, the effects of TMD can be wider-reaching than just your jaw area. Here are some of the most common signs you may notice if you have or are developing TMD:
- You hear a clicking sound from your jaw when chewing.
- Your jaw suddenly and randomly “locks” up.
- You are experiencing frequent tenderness, swelling, or pain along your jaw.
- You have frequent earaches or tension headaches.
- You are finding chewing tougher foods difficult or painful.
If you or a loved one are suffering from any of these conditions, contact our office. Evolution Dental has a wide range of treatments and our team has the experience you can trust to restore your oral health.
How Can I Benefit from TMJ Treatment?
Every section of your mouth needs to work together to provide you with optimized oral health and the dental care you deserve. When you suffer from TMD, you are putting additional stress on your teeth, jawbone, and even the muscles in your neck and face. Even more alarming, TMD can progress rapidly, making daily activities like chewing an uncomfortable experience.
Thankfully, our experienced team at Evolution Dental has the treatments to both address your TMD concerns and offer you a wide range of benefits to improve your dental health. These benefits include:
- Reducing tension-related headaches
- Keeping your jaw healthy so you can continue to enjoy your favorite foods
- Protecting your teeth’s enamel from chronic tooth grinding
- Alleviating or even eliminating dental discomfort and jaw pain
- Preventing further damage to your joints which may stop TMD’s progression
Relieving Your TMJ Headaches
Many people don’t realize that frequent headaches can be linked to temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). When your TMJ has a dysfunction, it can create tension that spreads through your jaw, face, and even up to your head, leading to persistent headaches. This connection is often overlooked, but the strain caused by TMD can trigger pain that feels similar to tension headaches or migraines.
Addressing TMD not only helps alleviate headaches but also improves jaw function, helping you feel more balanced and at ease. If you’ve been struggling with headaches that don’t seem to have a clear cause, your jaw might hold the answer.
Preventing Bruxism and Tooth Grinding
Bruxism is a dental issue where you grind your teeth, especially at night. Even if you don’t grind your teeth at night, you may find that you grind them when you are stressed. This leads to enamel decay and causes TMJ pain. Sometimes TMD can lead to bruxism, or sometimes bruxism is its own issue that causes pain in your jaw.
Stopping bruxism before it damages your smile is essential. We have many solutions specifically for bruxism, including Botox and night guards.
The Right Treatment for Your Lifestyle
When you choose Evolution Dental to help with your oral health needs, you get peace of mind that only experience can provide. We know that each smile is as unique as the person making them and that means personalizing treatment plans is a must.
Our dedicated dental professionals never take a “one size fits all” approach and want to get you the treatment that serves you best. That is why we offer a variety of solutions to TMD which include the following:
TMJ Therapy and Orofacial Pain Management
Just as there are many causes of TMD, there are also many levels of severity. When caught early, TMD symptoms can be managed with a therapeutic routine that is based on your specific needs. This can include physical exercises designed to improve your joint’s range of motion as well as identifying how/when you increase muscle tension that leads to TMD.
If this is the direction you wish to pursue, we can provide you with a pamphlet on the Harvard TMD Protocol for your home TMJ management.
Bite Guard / Night Guards
One of the most common causes of TMD is the extra stress we are putting on our jaw. Sometimes we are doing this subconsciously, not realizing that we are clenching our muscles or grinding our teeth until discomfort or pain appears.
Luckily, our custom-fit bite guards can help alleviate this additional stress. Bite guards, sometimes referred to as splints, provide this relief and help us in several ways. The most important being:
- Preventing you from clenching your teeth together.
- Stopping you from grinding your teeth together.
- Correcting the position of your jaw to fix an improper bite.
- Helping your jaw and facial muscles relax, which reduces muscle spasms, and thereby reduces pain.
- Reducing pain caused by a worn disc or arthritic condition.
Botox Tension Relief
From tension headaches and sore neck and muscles to intense jaw pain, TMJ/TMD can be among the most painful dental issues to deal with. If the dental discomfort you experience from TMD has reached the point it is disrupting your day-to-day activities Botox treatment may be the perfect solution.
While Botox has many cosmetic benefits, it also has a lot of restorative properties as well. By targeting certain muscle groups in your jaw, Botox can relax them and prevent the clenching or teeth grinding that is the underlying cause of many TMJ/TMD cases.
Diagnosing Your TMD
Diagnosing TMD does not have to be hard. Dr. Cast uses oral scanners and will also perform a bite analysis to determine if your TMJ is tight or causing wear and tear on your teeth.
Sometimes, even if you do not have any physical presentation of TMD, you might still be experiencing pain or discomfort. Sometimes, symptoms are enough alone to diagnose Temporomandibular joint disorder. Dr. Cast will listen to your needs and offer customized solutions, no matter your diagnosis.
An Experienced Doctor Right Next Door
Our lovely office is located in Palm Desert, a convenient location near Palm Springs, CA. Dr. Cast and his team at Evolution Dental love to treat people from near and far with their high level of expertise in TMD and other cosmetic and restorative dentistry.
When you visit Dr. Cast you are receiving care from a highly-trained doctor. Dr. Cast is certified to offer Botox for TMD relief, and he is adept at placing the Botox right where your smile needs it. If you need relief from pain, partner with Dr. Cast to find solutions for your smile.
Why a Dentist to Treat my TMD?
A dentist such as Dr. Cast has a broad understanding of how your jaw works, especially in comparison to the rest of your skull and face. This helps them have a unique approach to your pain, with several solutions, not just one.
Highly-trained dentists can also offer Botox, which other doctors often don’t have the training for.
TMJ Frequently Asked Questions
Call Today to Schedule Your TMJ/TMD Consultation
There’s no need to go another day with disruptive dental discomfort or an aching jaw from TMJ dysfunction. Not when Evolution Dental has the experience, technology, and dedication to get you the treatment you need for a healthier, happier smile.
Located in beautiful Palm Desert, CA, our office is waiting for your call. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
About Dr. Cast
Dr. Douglas Cast is a Southern California native. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Georgetown University. Dr Cast is both a former Clinical Instructor and a Lecturer at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, which is a global leader in teaching dentists from around the world in the art and science of cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Dr. Cast played an instrumental role in designing some of the cosmetic advancements commonly seen in higher-end cosmetic dental treatments today.