TMJ Therapy

Your jaw joints are complex; there are many different muscles, ligaments and tendons that work together to move your jaw to bite, speak and chew. And when these joints become damaged, they can become painful and stop working correctly.

We treat patients every day for jaw damage, a condition medically known as temporomandibular joint disorder. If you’re living with jaw pain, we can help.

The Jaw Joints

The jaw joints, also known as the temporomandibular joints, are located just in front of your ears at the place where your lower jaw connects to your skull. As we mentioned, these joints can become damaged and, when injured, impact your ability to eat, speak, yawn and even open your mouth.

The Causes of Jaw Damage

There are several causes of jaw damage: Trauma, injury, infection or inflammation, arthritis, muscle spasm, stress, poor posture, dental problems, TMJ dysfunction, bruxism (teeth grinding), and sleep apnea are just some of the culprits. Some people may have more than one cause of their jaw damage.

When the Temporomandibular Joints Become Damaged

Temporomandibular disorders affect millions of Americans each year. These disorders include jaw pain, headaches, neck pain, stiffness, difficulty chewing, popping sounds and clicking noises. The most common type of jaw disorder is called TMD, which stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. This condition affects both men and women, but it’s more prevalent among women. It often occurs after age 30. Approximately 12 percent of the population is affected by TMD.

A bad bite or persistent grinding or clenching of teeth can cause TMJ dysfunction. Grinding and clenching is often related to stress. Correcting a poor bite and reducing stress in our lives would be ideal options – however, we often need relief immediately. That’s where TMJ therapy from Dr. Tad Morgan in Bullard, Texas, can help.

Serving the entire Tyler, Texas, area and beyond, Dr. Morgan can help alleviate your TMJ dysfunction with TMJ therapy solutions.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Grinding, clenching and a bad bite cause the muscles that control the jaw to be overworked. And, as a result, they become fatigued and can spasm. That is when the pain begins. TMJ dysfunction can be worsened by biting your fingernails or chewing gum as well, so try to avoid these habits if you’re suffering from symptoms of TMJ dysfunction.

Symptoms of TMJ Dysfunction

Symptoms of TMJ dysfunction can include:

• Pain in the face, head, ears, shoulders, arms, hands and/or legs
• Headaches
• Soreness in the jaw
• Numbness in the jaw
• Difficulty opening the mouth wide
• Clicking or popping sounds when moving the jaw
• Trouble sleeping due to discomfort

If you experience any of the above symptoms, it is not wise to ignore them or attempt to cope with them on your own. TMD can get worse without warning, and permanent damage to the joint can result, which may require surgery. The best thing to do is call our Tyler-area dental office immediately to be evaluated. Our team wants to get you on the road to recovery and relief.

Take a quiz to see if you have TMJ!

Contact our dental office today if you’re experiencing chronic headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain or other symptoms of TMJ dysfunction like clicking or popping of the jaw. You don’t have to live in constant discomfort or pain. We happily see people from all over East Texas, including Mixon, Whitehouse and beyond.

TruDenta®

Dr. Morgan is happy to offer the advanced, effective TruDenta system to his patients who are suffering from ongoing headaches and migraines that are caused by an improper bite and/or TMJ disorder. During your initial exam, our team will capture computerized measurements of your mouth’s balance from individual tooth to tooth, as well as any abnormalities that are occurring through muscle movement. This information will help us pinpoint concerns and resolve your condition through a personalized program that could involve electrical stimulation, light therapy, ultrasound therapy, muscle manipulation, at-home exercises, the routine use of an orthotic and more.

With TruDenta, patients can avoid complex, invasive treatment and return to their best life before they know it.

Occlusal Adjustments

It’s common for concerns with the temporomandibular joints to arise because of an improper bite. A naturally perfect bite is actually very rare. It is our goal to help you enjoy a smile where all teeth are present, functional and free of issues like facial discomfort, sore muscles, dental wear and other concerns.

Patients with TMJ disorder may benefit from occlusal adjustment, which will involve Dr. Morgan carefully shaping certain biting surfaces of your smile in order to eliminate sensitive areas of contact and divide pressure evenly across all of your teeth. Correcting your bite may also involve the placement and rebuilding of restorative work in order to provide additional support.

Occlusal Splints

Many patients are able to achieve relief from TMJ disorder with a custom occlusal splint from our Tyler, Texas, practice. This oral appliance is designed to allow your upper and lower jaw to come together properly without making tooth contact, resulting in reduced risks of muscle pain and dental damage. In the beginning stages of treatment, you’ll typically be instructed to wear the splint at all times as your bite is naturally adjusted to a more ideal position. Once this has occurred, treatment can be reduced to nightly wear and then even eliminated altogether after a period of anywhere from several weeks to multiple months of diligent use.

Disclusion Time Reduction

Disclusion Time Reduction Therapy, otherwise known as DTR, is a therapy that deals with the friction between the upper and lower back teeth and the muscles. Research has shown that reducing the amount of friction will relax the muscles of the face, which in turn reduces or eliminates the pain in the face and jaw joint (TMJ), as well as the severity of headaches.

DTR might be for you if:

• You are unable to swish with cold water due to sensitive teeth.
• You are unable to chew gum for more than five to 10 minutes without your muscles getting tired.
• You are looking for solutions that include eliminating the use of a night guard.

DTR technology and precise adjustments can decrease or eliminate TMJ pain and headaches. DTR decreases the friction between upper and lower teeth and allows the muscles to relax. Otherwise, the jaw muscles are working constantly, similar to doing pull-ups all day long.

Dr. Morgan was one of the first five dentists in the United States to become certified in DTR. To become certified, a dentist must complete the didactic training, incorporate all necessary technology to perform DTR, and successfully complete the hands-on clinical training.

If you are suffering from TMD/TMJ dysfunction or have face pain or jaw pain, please call our office for a consultation to see if this therapy is for you.

A jaw joint problem might develop when your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, connecting your lower jaw to the base of your skull becomes painful and is unable to function normally.

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