TMJ Specialist

What are symptoms of TMJ?

Because the TMJ is such a complex joint, problems can cause symptoms well beyond the joint itself. You may have symptoms, such as:

• Difficulty chewing
• Inability to fully open mouth
• Clicking or popping noise in joint
• Crunching feeling or noise in joint
• Clenching or grinding teeth
• Tension or muscle spasm in the jaw
• Jaw locking
• Frequent headaches
• Pain when opening jaw
• Neck and shoulder tension
• Facial pain
• Ringing in ears
• Ear pain not related to an ear infection

If you have these symptoms, The Diablo Dental Group is able to properly diagnose and create a plan to treat your TMJ disorder.

What causes TMJ disorder?

TMJ disorder is caused by damage, misalignment, or dislocation of the TMJ. This places strain on the surrounding structures, including muscles and nerves, which causes inflammation and pain. TMJ disorder may be caused by:

• Arthritis in the joint
• Missing teeth
• Misaligned teeth, such as an overbite
• Whiplash, or another neck injury
• Stress, which causes muscle tension and spasms
• Bruxism, or teeth grinding
• Facial trauma

Determining the underlying cause of your TMJ disorder is an important part of proper treatment.

How is TMJ disorder treated?

The Diablo Dental Group helps to identify the underlying cause of your TMJ disorder and initiates a personalized treatment plan to correct the problem. They do this by:

• Collecting a thorough medical history
• Completing a thorough oral exam
• Taking X-rays
• Taking dental casts or impressions
• Creating orthotics or splints
• Correcting dental misalignment

Treatment of your TMJ disorder may be a team effort that includes your primary care physician, psychologist, physical therapist, and oral surgeon. If needed, your dental team can refer you to specialists who can help relieve your pain and improve your quality of life.

For an evaluation of your TMJ disorder symptoms, call or schedule an appointment with The Diablo Dental Group.