Problems We Treat: TMJ Treatment Coeur d'Alene

What is TMJ?

The term “TMJ” is short for temporomandibular joints. These joints connect your jawbone to your skull and are responsible for opening and closing your mouth. Pain in the TMJ joints affects up to 12 million adults in the United States. To relieve pain in your jaw, it’s crucial to receive a diagnosis by a TMJ specialist who can pave the way for your TMJ treatment.

Causes of TMJ:

• Teeth clenching or grinding
• Arthritis
• Stress
• Injury or dislocation
• Alignment issues in the teeth or jaw

Our TMJ dentists at Coeur d’Alene Dental Center will provide a diagnosis, develop an effective treatment, and provide a prevention plan that will help relieve your TMJ pain.

Do you think you have TMJ?

There are a variety of issues aside from TMJ that may be causing your pain because there is a complicated system of ligaments, discs, muscles, and bones which help facilitate the jaw’s movements. We’ll first discuss the symptoms you are experiencing before a diagnosis is made to determine if your pain will be alleviated with TMJ treatments.

Common Symptoms of TMJ:

• Popping sound when opening or closing the mouth
• Swollen jaw
• Facial pain
• Tenderness/pain in the jaw
• Pain in both or one of the TMJ joints
• Aching in or around the ears
• Migraine headaches
• Lockjaw

Determine if you have TMJ by getting a professional evaluation and diagnosis. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, contact us - we offer comprehensive dental care and treatments for TMJ.

Treatments for TMJ Coeur d'Alene

So that a proper treatment plan can be developed, our Coeur d'Alene TMJ specialists will start by diagnosing your TMJ pain. The treatment plan often depends on the cause of the TMJ pain, whether it’s clenching, arthritis, alignment issues, or something else.

We’ll work with you to provide much-needed relief and effectively treat your TMJ pain. To help alleviate TMJ discomfort, consider the following common treatments:

• Dental appliance or bite guard to prevent clenching or grinding
• Treating undiagnosed sleep breathing disorders
• Muscle relaxers or anti-inflammatory medications
• Braces or aligners to fix poor tooth alignment
• Jaw surgery for extreme cases of TMJ where bone or tissue growth is hindering the joint

Try these at-home remedies to relieve and prevent further pain in the TMJ area:

• Try sleeping on your back instead of your stomach
• Don’t bite your fingernails
• Eat soft foods when pain presents
• Avoid chewing gum or ice
• Apply a moist heat pack to the side of your face for 10 minutes
• Practice stress-relieving techniques like meditation or exercise
• Try not to make extreme jaw movements like yelling, singing, or yawning

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