TMJ Therapy & Headache Relief in Waukesha WI

If you suffer from regularly occurring headaches or have persistent pain in your jaws, neck, face, or shoulders, you may be suffering from TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. Also known as TMD, this is most commonly caused by a misaligned bite causing strain on your jaws.  While a large number of people suffer from TMJ in Waukesha WI the problem is relatively unknown.

---

TMJ SYMPTOMS in Waukesha WI

TMD is not something that happens overnight. A misaligned jaw will take some time to inflict its full effects, but these are the symptoms you should be looking for.

●    Pounding or pulsing headaches, similar to migraines.
●    Jaw or face pain
●    Shoulder muscles and/or neck aches
●    Swelled face or jaw muscles
●    Earaches, toothaches or even hearing problems
●    Difficulty opening your jaw
●    Misaligned bite

---

Sources of TMD or TMJ

You have muscles in your head known as the Temporomandibular Joints. They are a “ball and socket” joint and hinge at the front of your ears and are the point of contact between your lower jaw and your skull. Under normal circumstances, this joint fits tightly and snugly to keep your jaw and skull closely connected, with a disc that absorbs stress. This is because, thanks to eating and speaking, the temporomandibular joints are one of the most frequently used joint/muscle systems in your body.

However, if your teeth do not sit correctly in your jaw, this may misalign your jaw from the skull, resulting in malocclusion or “bad bite.” Because your jaw is not fitting in properly, this puts a strain on the joints involved, and eventually, TMD occurs.

---

The Treatment

Neuromuscular dentistry is a very specific branch of dental medicine, so you will likely be referred to a specialist by your dentist. While medication or surgery may address the pain, these treatments may not always fix the actual cause of the problem without the understanding and thorough examination of your face and jaw by an experienced neuromuscular dentist.

A neuromuscular dentist will first relax your jaw to ease the muscle strain and then use highly specialized software to take measurements of your jaw in a relaxed state. These measurements can then be used to make a model of your mouth when it is properly aligned. Next, plans can be made to realign your jaw into an optimal position, a concept similar to what happens with braces gradually moving teeth back into a better position.

---

TMD or TMJ Therapy is a long-term solution to TMJ Disorder that doesn’t just help with the pain, it eliminates the cause of it, preventing further stress to your face, jaw, and shoulders. If you think you have, TMD call our team at Hillcrest Family Dental today.