TMJ/TMD

Headaches and jaw pain can often be a symptom of temporomandibular joint disorder, popularly called TMJ/TMD or lockjaw. Billions of dollars are spent on misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgery for Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD) sufferers. Known as “The Great Imposter,” over 40 million Americans suffer from TMD and are often misdiagnosed.

The temporomandibular joint actually connects your jaw bone to your skull, and a number of things, including excessive joint pressure, can lead to problems including tension headaches. Other causes can include joint compression, dislocation, jaw clenching, or grinding of the teeth. These issues can be caused by anything from genetic deformation to direct trauma to the area.

Common Symptoms

Common symptoms of TMD include: headaches and facial pain, neckaches or stiffness, backaches, ear pain, ringing, fullness and hearing loss, back of the eye pain and visual problems, clicking, popping and grinding in the jaw joints, limited or painful opening of the jaw, clenching or grinding and excessive wear of teeth.

Causes

Causes can include improper tooth alignment, jaw clenching or tooth grinding, and stress or other trauma. TMD is commonly misdiagnosed and can be treated effectively 90% of the time when properly diagnosed.

Treatments

Treatments can often be done in a noninvasive manner which can be both cheaper and more effective than surgery. Our office can quickly and easily identify the symptoms of TMD and prescribe a proper course of action to reduce or eliminate your symptoms.