Do you experience regular popping and clicking in your jaw, headaches, or jaw pain due to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder? While TMJ disorder symptoms occasionally go away on their own, other times they may require an intervention by Dr. Dipesh Sitaram. When we determine that your TMJ symptoms are due to bite alignment issues, we often turn to orthodontic treatment to ease your pain.
What Is TMJ Disorder?
Your TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, is what allows you to move your jaw up, down, and side to side. When the TMJ is not functioning properly, it impacts your ability to talk, eat, and to perform many other daily activities. TMJ dysfunction can also lead to pain and discomfort as well as cause symptoms ranging from earaches to locking jaw.
How Do We Treat TMJ Disorder?
In order to treat TMJ disorder, our goal is to determine the cause. There are a number of possible causes for dysfunction of the TMJ, such as stress, arthritis, trauma to the head, bite alignment issues, chronic teeth grinding and clenching, and excessive gum chewing, among other things.
Orthodontic Treatment for TMJ Dysfunction
Bite alignment issues put extra stress on your TMJ and can lead to pain. To treat TMJ problems caused by a misaligned bite, we can use braces. Braces gently shift your teeth into their proper place over time. Not only does this give you a straighter smile, it can ease TMJ pain and help your jaw function normally.
More Questions? We Have Answers!
If TMJ pain is negatively impacting your quality of life, we want to help. Our team will work to determine the root cause for your pain and come up with a treatment plan that eases your pain and helps your jaw function normally. Please contact our office to ask us any additional questions or to schedule a consultation.