TMJ Diagnosis and Management
TROUBLE WITH YOUR JAW?
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders develop for many reasons and are a family of problems related to you complex jaw joint . You might clench or grind your teeth, tightening your jaw muscles and stressing your TM joint. You may have a damaged jaw joint due to injury or disease. Injuries and arthritis can damage the joint directly or stretch or tear the muscle ligaments. As a result, the disk, which is made of cartilage and functions as the “cushion” of the jaw joint, can slip out of position. Whatever the cause, the result is TMJ Disorders (TMD).
TREATMENT
There are various treatment options that can be utilized to improve the harmony and function of your jaw. Once an evaluation confirms a diagnosis of TMJ disorder, the doctor will determine the proper course of treatment. It is important to note that treatment always works best with a team approach of self-care joined with professional care.Working with your dentist, physician and a physical therapist we will formulate a plan to get your quality of life back on track.
The goals of treatment are to decrease symptoms and restore function. Usually this means relieving the muscle spasms and joint pain, which will allow normal function to return. Medications such anti-inflammatory medications or a muscle relaxant may be prescribed.
Using the latest technology our team doctors at Southwest Oral Surgery will evaluate and recommend the appropriate treatment based on the symptoms present with each distinct patient. Depending on the etiology of your symptoms, using the latest in fiber optics we can visualize your joint and even treat some conditions.
Our team is a competent and trained for treating all of your TMJ symptoms. From conservative therapy up to complete joint replacement with orthognathic surgical procedures. We are an authorized provider of the Biomet Total Joint replacement and if situation is appropriate the TMJ Concepts custom fitted total joint replacement system.