San Ramon TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders include a group of problems associated with the joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull, and the chewing muscles that connect the jaws to each other. Symptoms can be varied, but often include facial pain when chewing, aching pain in or around the ears, popping or grating in the jaw joint, locking of the jaw (making it difficult to open or close), and frequent headaches in the temple or forehead areas. In any one particular case, the exact cause may be difficult to determine. But generally, causes include some combination of clenching or grinding your teeth, fatigue of the chewing muscles (by chewing gum, or things like raw carrots or tough pizza dough), inconsistencies in the way your teeth mesh together, damage to the joint caused by a blow or keeping your mouth open too wide or too long, and/or poor posture (especially from sitting at computer terminals for prolonged periods).

San Ramon TMJ problems most often come in cycles. You may have symptoms that appear to go away on their own, only to return once again at a later date, but seldom do they stay away completely and forever. Many patients find that these cycles relate to stress in their lives, and may or may not contribute to sleeping problems - for which we provide snoring and sleep apnea relief.

If you have symptoms of a TMJ disorder, a special examination is recommended. This will include a thorough history of the problem, observing the range of motion of your jaw, listening to and feeling the jaw joint when you open and close your mouth, examining the wear patterns on your teeth (which provides evidence of bite inconsistencies or excessive tooth grinding), and pressing on areas around your face to map sore muscles. Special x-rays may also be prescribed to help visualize physical damage to the joint. The good news is that most San Ramon TMJ problems are ultimately self-limiting, requiring only some of the treatments below. Only rarely do these disorders become truly handicapping.

The most common treatments include:

• Bite guards (worn at night) that lessen the effects of clenching and grinding during sleep.
• Corrective dental treatment to improve the bite.
• Avoiding foods that result in over-use of the jaw.
• Warm, moist heat applied to the sides of the face.
• Short-term use of prescription and/or over-the-counter medications.
• Improvements to posture.
• Avoiding opening the jaw too wide, especially with yawning.
• Becoming aware of tension-related habits like clenching the teeth when under stress

Providing services for TMJ in San Ramon to Danville, CA and beyond.