TMJ Therapy & Headache Relief in Natick MA

The compassionate team at Papageorgiou Dental Associates can help Natick MA patients with their dental problems as well as other areas of concerns, such as problems with the temporomandibular joints. Commonly known as TMJ, these joints connect your lower jaw to your skull, and have blood vessels, nerves, and bones. TMJ disorders manifest in numerous ways, and often cause issues with both your dental and overall health. Keep reading to learn more about TMJ therapy in Natick MA.

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Symptoms Of TMD Or TMJ In Natick MA

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.

• Ringing or pressure in the ears
• Pain in the neck and shoulders
• Clicking and popping sounds
• Dizziness
• Aching teeth
• Waking up with sore throat, dry mouth, or headache
• Problems chewing or with opening and closing the mouth
• Stiffness in the jaw
• Swelling in the face
• Teeth that are getting worn or cracked

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Why Choose Papageorgiou Dental Associates for TMJ Therapy?

• Fully personalized TMJ appliances
• Patients of all ages welcome
• Morning and evening appointments

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The Source of 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.

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TMJ Treatment

There are a few different ways a TMJ disorder might be treated. One common method is to use a specially made oral appliance to correct the positioning of the jaw. Doing so helps fix any alignment problems that might be putting more pressure than normal on the jaw joints. An oral appliance can also act as a barrier between the teeth to protect against bruxism. We can go into more details about this treatment option if you schedule a consultation with us.

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.

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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 Papageorgiou Dental Associates today.