Around 10 million Americans have a TMJ disorder. If you have this condition, then you may be experiencing a number of uncomfortable symptoms such as chronic pain in your jaws. While you may think you can force yourself to live with a TMJ disorder, there’s no need to do so; Dr. Nawrocki and Dr. Dennis can determine what’s causing your problem and help you find a way to deal with the discomfort. Reach out today if you would like more information about the different types of TMJ treatment available at our office.
The term TMJ disorder can refer to a number of issues involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ for short) that is responsible for the movement of your jawbone. The purpose of the TMJ is to give your jaw the mobility it needs for everyday activities like speaking and chewing. If the TMJ becomes overworked or is injured in some manner, a TMJ disorder may occur. This condition is more common in women than men, and it often affects individuals in the age range of 20 to 40 years old.
Pain that occurs in your jaw or the muscles on the side of your face could indicate that you have a TMJ disorder. Additional symptoms may include the following:
When you visit our office to see if you have a TMJ disorder, please describe all of the symptoms that you’ve noticed. The more information we have, the easier it will be to narrow down the underlying source of your pain.
Our team will personalize your TMJ treatment plan according to the specifics of your situation. We’ll walk you through the different kinds of treatments we offer, then recommend the one that we feel is the best choice for your specific case. Below you’ll find the various potential solutions for TMJ disorder available at Brown & Nawrocki Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry.
The deprogrammer is a removable retainer-like appliance that allows us to evaluate the stability of your bite. Every time you chew or swallow, you must adapt your jaw to the best fit for your teeth. If this fit is not ideal for your jaw joint and muscles, you will be at a higher risk of experiencing facial pain as well as worn, broken, or loose teeth.
The deprogrammer removes the influence of your teeth from your chewing system by preventing them from interlocking and reinforcing the position of your existing bite. This allows your lower jaw to relax into a more comfortable position. Once your lower jaw has fully relaxed, we will be able to provide you with treatment options for maintaining your bite in this new, more comfortable position.
An uneven bite can stop your jaw muscles from fully relaxing, and it can put an excessive amount of strain on the TMJs. Luckily, with an occlusal adjustment, we can make a few minor changes to your teeth to help them fit together properly. The goal is to ensure that there is even contact between the upper and lower arches of teeth when the mouth is closed, which is a major step forward to finding relief from your TMJ disorder.
So, maybe you’re considering a TMJ treatment. That’s a good move – you could trust the procedure to help with jaw issues! Still, you likely have concerns about how it all works. After all, you want to know what you’re getting into. Well, our office is here to help: Below are some oft-asked TMJ questions and their answers. Should you read them, you’ll see what our treatment entails. If you need other facts, though, feel free to call our office!
As done by a medical professional, TMJ treatment varies in length. Its final timeline depends on the specific procedure you get.
Of course, a dentist can offer a rough estimate based on your situation. If you get orthodontic treatment for TMJ, the process can take 18 months on average. Meanwhile, occlusal adjustment often takes one, two, or even three appointments. These visits can also get spaced weeks apart. (Still, each session is relatively brief.)
For an exact treatment timeline, consult with your dentist. They’ll assess your TMJ problem’s severity and offer an informed estimate.
Rest assured: occlusal adjustment itself doesn’t hurt. Your dentist will ensure every step of it is smooth. No matter the changes made to align your teeth and jaws, you should feel fine.
For starters, your dentist may numb your mouth beforehand. (They’re likely to do so if your TMJ issue is severe.) This measure will ensure you don’t sense pain from their work.
More crucially, the adjustment will relieve your pre-existing pain. By removing bits of enamel, it’ll ease the pressure on your jaw joints. The result will be a major reduction in your discomfort.
True enough, BOTOX relies on botulinum toxin – a substance that can cause a life-threatening reaction. However, it’s a very safe treatment when done by qualified specialists. These professionals only inject small doses, thus ensuring you don’t have complications.
Plus, BOTOX’s risks and side effects are minor and temporary at most. They’re only things like slight bruising at the injection site, headaches, mild nausea, or flu-like symptoms. (After all, the injections are non-surgical and minimally invasive.) There’s very little chance of anything more serious occurring. As such, it’s still worthwhile to choose BOTOX for TMJ relief.
While TMJ issues can fade on their own, they rarely do so. It’s better to see a professional for care. Depending on your procedure, your jaw joints will have lasting relief.
If you want a permanent cure, options like BOTOX aren’t a good fit. They can only provide temporary relief at most. As such, they’d require you to attend follow-up visits for re-treatments.
In contrast, deprogrammers and occlusal adjustment could work out. These options permanently address jaw tension, misalignment, and other causes of TMD. Consequently, they’ll give your jaw an enduring end to its pain.
Some insurance plans will provide at least partial coverage for TMJ treatment. It should be noted that depending on the treatment being performed, it could potentially fall under either your dental insurance or your medical insurance. On top of that, some insurance plans may only pay for certain types of procedures, and others may not provide TMJ coverage at all unless they are required to as per state regulations.
Needless to say, you will want to make sure that you fully understand the details of your insurance and the coverage it provides before you commit to your TMJ treatment. Remember that you can always reach out to your insurance provider if you have any questions about your benefits.
Deprogrammers and occlusal adjustments are indeed considered safe ways to help patients find relief from TMJ disorder. The most important thing is to make sure that your treatment is being carried out by a qualified professional; that way, you can be sure that your jaw is in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing and can be relied on to make your comfort and safety a priority at all times.
Bear in mind that deprogrammers and occlusal adjustments are considered conservative forms of TMJ treatment. It’s always best to try this type of approach before you consider more invasive methods for dealing with TMJ-related pain.
When you find out that there’s something wrong with your jaw joints, your first thought may be to undergo surgery to correct it. However, not only is it possible to treat TMJ disorder without surgery, but most experts recommend that you do so whenever possible.
TMJ surgery typically results in major, lasting changes being made to the jaw, and it inherently carries some degree of risk. As such, it’s generally viewed as a last resort. Oftentimes, less invasive methods will be enough to help you find lasting relief from your discomfort.
Naturally, you will want to know how much you can expect to pay for TMJ treatment before you make any decisions. However, the fact of the matter is that the cost won’t be exactly the same for every patient. There are several factors that could potentially influence the final price tag. For example, the geographic location of the dental practice providing the treatment can affect the amount they charge for their services.
Naturally, the type of treatment that you need also matters. A deprogrammer won’t carry the same cost as an occlusal adjustment. We can determine what kind of TMJ treatment you should get once we have learned more about what’s causing the disorder and how severe your symptoms are, and that in turn can help us give you a better idea of what you can expect to pay.