TMJ & TMD Treatment at Chatswood Dental Associates

It’s easy to think of a dentist as someone who only treats teeth and gum problems. The truth, however, is that dentists are knowledgeable of the entire oral anatomy, including the muscles and joints that allow your jaw to function properly.

The particular field of dentistry related to your jaw and TMJ is known as neuromuscular dentistry and it focuses on ensuring that your bite is comfortable and functional. With neuromuscular dentistry techniques, we can track your jaw’s movement and assess any symptoms you’re experiencing to determine the correct treatment, which may include an occlusal splint or an orthotic.

What Is TMJ?

TMJ is an abbreviation used for the temporomandibular joint. These are the joints where your lower jaw and upper jaw connect. If you place your fingers just below your earlobes and open and close your mouth, you’ll feel these joints in action!

The TMJ is an important joint with a wide range of motion. It allows you to move your jaw up and down, side to side, back and forth and even around in a circle. It is thanks to these movements that we are able to have such a varied diet or speak in complex languages.

Unfortunately, this complexity also means that the TMJ can be prone to problems. While some TMJ issues are connected to trauma or arthritis, sometimes it’s unclear what triggers the pain. When the TMJ isn’t functioning properly, the condition is called TMD or temporomandibular joint dysfunction (although many people refer to the condition as “TMJ” as well).

What Are the Symptoms of TMJ/TMD?

Joint dysfunction is usually associated with:

Any of these symptoms should be checked out at once before the condition progresses.

How Is TMJ/TMD Treated?

Joint treatment for TMD is usually a three-step process at Chatswood Dental Associates:

• Muscle Spasm and Pain Relief – The first thing we’ll want to do is provide relief from your symptoms. We’ve found that the best way to do this is by using a therapy called ultra-low frequency transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation, or ULF-TENS. It’s pretty straightforward; the device causes a rhythmic pulsing that relaxes the muscles by increasing blood flow and stimulating your body’s production of endorphins, a natural pain reliever. Once your jaw muscles relax, they’re easier to realign into the appropriate position.
• Bite Stabilisation – We’ll prescribe an orthotic device that’s worn over your teeth to help stabilise the bite. This appliance allows us to easily adjust your jaws without making changes to the teeth. Once your symptoms are under control and your bite is stable, we can make permanent adjustments to correctly position your TMJ alignment.
• Long-Term Management – Several options are available to permanently correct your bite and prevent further pain, damage or other symptoms. We’ll discuss your options with you and provide a recommendation that is customised to your specific needs.

If you’ve been experiencing pain in the jaw joints or muscles, please don’t wait another minute. Pain is your body’s way of alerting you that something is wrong.

* Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

TMJ Treatment Chatswood NSW | (02) 9412 4488