TMJ Treatment – Virginia Beach, VA
Curb Chronic Jaw Pain with Customized TMJ Treatment
Your temporomandibular joints are crucial to everyday function. Whenever you yawn, chew your food, or speak, they’re working to make those actions possible, which are essential to your survival. Unfortunately, just like whenever your knee joint causes you discomfort due to stress and being overworked, so can your TMJ. In these cases, treatment may be necessary to relieve the stress on the joints and minimize your daily discomfort. Our team at Smile by Design of Virginia Beach can help! Just give us a call to schedule an appointment.
Why Choose Smile by Design of Virginia Beach for TMJ Treatment?
- In-Network with Most PPO Dental Insurance Plans
- Friendly & Experienced Team of Dentists
- Custom-Made, Durable Occlusal Splints
What is TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorder is when the temporomandibular joints, which are a paired joint that anchor your lower jaw to your upper jaw, don’t function as effectively or smoothly as they should. This can cause a variety of symptoms that impact your daily life, as well as chronic pain. It can also be caused by a number of underlying conditions, including teeth grinding, orthodontic issues, or improperly placed restorations, like cavity fillings and dental crowns.
Signs of TMJ Disorder
Some warning signs that you’ll want to keep an eye out for that could indicate that you have TMJ disorder include:
- Inability to comfortably open your mouth all the way.
- Clicking or popping sounds when you open or close your mouth.
- Difficulty chewing food.
- Earaches or ringing in your ears.
- Chronic jaw discomfort.
- Migraines or headaches.
- Shoulder pain.
- Bruxism, or teeth grinding.
If you notice these symptoms and they’re beginning to shift your focus from your daily life to your condition, give us a call today to schedule an examination. Our dentists in Virginia Beach will help diagnose the issue at hand and develop a custom treatment plan to address your pain.
TMJ Treatment Options
Depending on the underlying cause of your TMJ pain, we may recommend either an occlusal splint or occlusal adjustment. In any case, we’ll thoroughly walk you through what each process will entail so you know exactly what to expect from it before deciding that you want to move forward.
Occlusal Splint
Occlusal splints are customized orthotic devices that you wear in your mouth as you sleep, similar to a mouthguard that you might wear if you grind your teeth. It’s made from a cushioning and durable material and specially designed to shift your jaw into its ideal alignment, releasing the tension from your joints. It also doubles as a guard against grinding, so you can rest assured that your teeth will remain protected!
Occlusal Adjustment/Equilibration
Occlusal adjustment, sometimes referred to as equilibration, is another method we can use to address TMJ pain. When restorations aren’t properly crafted, leaving your bite slightly misaligned and uneven, it can lead to one joint taking on more force and pressure than the other. Our dentists can adjust the restorations to make sure the mouth closes properly and all of your teeth come together evenly.