Do you suffer from constant headaches? Pain in your jaw, face, neck or shoulders? If so, you may be one of many Americans who suffer from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, also known as TMJ Disorder or TMD. TMD most commonly occurs when jaw muscles strain to compensate for a misaligned bite.
Dr. Chad Boger is one of the few qualified dentists in the state of Minnesota who offers TMJ treatment by way of neuromuscular dentistry. Unlike several other TMJ treatment approaches, a neuromuscular technique focuses on correcting the origin of the problem instead of simply treating the symptoms to relieve pain.
As a leading practice in the Minneapolis area, we use the most modern and effective procedures in neuromuscular dentistry to treat your jaw pain, offer headache relief, and eliminate other symptoms through positioning the jaw in its most relaxed position.
TMJ disorder often takes years to fully develop and can affect several muscles in the body. Most people struggle with TMD at least to some extent, however there are several symptoms that indicate a call for treatment.
- Pounding headaches that feel like migraine headaches
- Persistent face or jaw pain
- Aching neck and shoulder muscles
- Swelled jaw or face muscles
- Toothaches, earaches and hearing problems
- Limited ability to open jaw
- Misaligned bite
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the point where the jaw and skull connect in a ball and socket hinge in front of each ear. Because this joint controls chewing, talking and biting, it is considered the most frequently used joint in the body. The end of the lower jaw fits into a socket in the skull, separated by a disk meant to absorb stress. TMD most commonly develops when the teeth do not fit together properly, resulting in malocclusion, or a bad bite. This strains the head muscles and consequently the temporomandibular joint, resulting in jaw, neck or shoulder pain and severe headaches. TMJ or TMD can additionally be caused by several factors:
- Grinding or clenching teeth
- Injuries to the head or face
- Arthritis
- Displacement of disc between jawbone and socket
- Wear and tear on teeth
- Bad bite
As one of the few dental practices in Minnesota with a dentist trained extensively in neuromuscular dentistry, we uniquely offer a TMD therapy that addresses the source of your pain. Several other jaw pain solutions such as medication, surgery or muscle relaxants often mask the pain without acknowledging or correcting the cause.
After an initial consultation where we diagnose your TMJ, we use special technology to relax your jaw, face and neck muscles. Then using a high-tech computer program, we measure your optimal jaw position in its relaxed state. Using this as a guide, we design a specialized plan to realign the bite and teeth to their optimal location. This TMJ treatment approach offers a long-term solution to eliminate headaches, jaw pain and other symptoms of TMJ.
To find out more about how TMD therapy can alleviate your pain and provide headache relief, just fill out the simple form on this page or call our Plymouth, Minnesota office today at 763-546-7707 to schedule a Free consultation.
