TMJ Treatment – Los Alamitos
Eliminate Your Jaw Pain
When the teeth, facial muscles, and temporomandibular joints are out of alignment, the symptoms of TMD arise. Luckily, there is help for people who suffer from TMJ-related pain, such as unexplained headaches, restless nights, and difficulty opening and chewing. By relaxing the muscles that move your jaw, Dr. Poe can reposition your bite to its optimal state, putting it in harmony with the jaw joint, facial muscles, and your teeth. To learn more about TMD, give us a call to schedule an appointment.
What Is TMJ Disorder?
The TMJ, also called the temporomandibular joint, is a set of small hinges that are located in the front of the ears. This joint allows your lower jawbone to move up and down when you speak, laugh, and talk. The TMJ is one of the most complex joints in the entire body, so it can be disturbed by misaligned bite, teeth grinding, and other factors. When it happens, you have TMJ dysfunction, or TMD.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
There are many symptoms that can become apparent from TMD. Here are some of the most apparent ones.
- Headaches: One of the most underdiagnosed causes of frequent headaches is TMD. The jaw muscles become tense, strained, and overworked, so it is easy for this to affect the nearby muscles in the head.
- Ear Pain/Tinnitus: The TMJ is so close to the ears, so having a dysfunctional joint can result in ear pain. It can also cause ringing in the ears. This is called “tinnitus.”
- Face/Jaw Pain: Jaw stiffness and pain are the most common symptoms of TMD. It can be hard to chew comfortably, and lockjaw is common.
- Bruxism: Teeth clenching and grinding can be caused by daily stress, a misaligned bite, and TMD. This usually occurs during sleep and can overwork the jaw muscles, leading to additional pain.
Types of TMJ Treatment
K7 Testing
K7 testing uses a piece of technology that provides detailed information regarding the anatomical status and function of the jaw using tracking, electromyography, and joint sonography. This gives us the ability to diagnose and treat TMJ dysfunction.
Neuromuscular Orthotics
A neuromuscular orthotic is a customized device that can be worn to reduce the prevalence of TMD symptoms. Each one is individually made for each patient and is intended to be worn during sleep. It works by shifting your jaw into its ideal position to relieve the joints of additional strain and stress. It can also reduce the harmful effects of teeth grinding and clenching.
*Support – Please update the following section to current standards so each question expands when clicked on. Thanks!
TMJ Therapy FAQs
It may be surprising to hear, but many people have bite problems and don’t even realize it until they start to notice chronic discomfort in their jaw, head or upper body. If you are unfamiliar with TMJ dysfunction, this all might sound very foreign to you and leave you with more questions than answers. Thankfully, Dr. Poe is more than happy to answer the most common questions he receives regarding TMJ therapy below. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact his office directly.
How Do I Know If My TMJ is Causing Your Pain?
TMJ dysfunction often goes misdiagnosed or completely missed during a routine physical. The best way to know for sure is to visit someone who has studied the jaw and its relationship with the rest of the body for many years like Dr. Poe has. It’s difficult to diagnose a condition that is known for causing a large variety of symptoms, but Dr. Poe can effectively rule out or pinpoint TMD through his expertise.
What Does the Treatment Process Entail?
When you first arrive, Dr. Poe performs a detailed and comprehensive consultation. This includes not just asking you about your symptoms but analyzing them further to determine their source. He’ll X-ray your jaw joints to see if there’s undue stress being applied to them and use this information to create a personalized treatment plan that’s unique to you. At the end of the day, his goal is to make sure that your short-term and long-term symptoms eventually disappear. The result is not just a pain-free jaw, but a daily life free of headaches and upper body pain.
How Long Does Treatment Take to Work?
While every patient has a different experience, the time treatment will take depends on how severe your TMJ dysfunction is and what caused the condition in the first place. During your initial visit, Dr. Poe will explain how long you can expect treatment to take before it starts showing results. In some cases, patients can actually start feeling relief only a week or so after receiving and using their orthotic device. No matter what it takes to find the right treatment for you, we are not a practice that rushes your care. Addressing the source of the discomfort is the number-one priority for Dr. Poe.
Will My Chronic Discomfort Ever Come Back?
If there is future muscle tension or an injury occurs to your jaw, the discomfort can come back despite receiving treatment. Furthermore, if you stop wearing the device prescribed to you, either because it becomes damaged or you simply forget to use it regularly, your muscles will continue to tense up and cause chronic discomfort. These are known as TMD flare-ups and can occur at any time. When you visit our practice for care and follow all the instructions provided by our office, you can reduce the likelihood of this occurring.