There are millions of people that suffer from chronic headaches, unexplained earaches and other facial and jaw pain. Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are a group of complex problems known as TMJ disorders. Dr. Mazaheri can treat TMJ disorders using bite splints, and specialty night guard appliances which are custom made for your mouth.

 

Many patients who suffer from TMJ disorders may not recognize these symptoms or do not realize that they may have a dental related problem. Many factors contribute to the joint dysfunction, the most common symptoms include grinding of the teeth, stress, frequent headaches, neck pain, popping and clicking of the jaw joint, and presence of enamel wear on teeth.

 

Temporomandibular joint symptoms can appear very similar to those of other medical conditions, making diagnosis very difficult. If you suffer from any of the following symptoms you may have a TMJ disorder:

 

• Headaches, upon waking
• Neck and Shoulder pain
• Clicking or popping of the Jaw joint upon opening and closing
• Grinding of the teeth and clenching often apparent by teeth wear
• Chronic Earaches

 

TMJ Treatment by Appliance

 

Temporomandibular disorders are treated by oral appliance therapy. The appliance used is a removable device that helps to keep the teeth and the jaw in proper position during sleep and prevent grinding and clenching. Most people are not aware that they grind and clench their teeth during sleep, and prolonged teeth grinding can lead to wear of the teeth and contribute to decay and periodontal disease. More importantly this pathological grinding of the teeth can lead to collapse of the bite overtime and makes the TMJ symptoms more severe.

Upon being diagnosed with a TMD disorder Dr. Mazaheri may create a customized oral appliance that is specially designed for you and help to alleviate your symptoms. In some severe cases full mouth reconstruction may also be recommended to restore proper form and function to the teeth and the temporomandibular joint. Full mouth reconstructions not only restore the teeth to proper form and function from collapsing of the bite, they can also improve the facial esthetics for many patients. For example of improved facial esthetics, please visit our smile gallery to view some before and after pictures of full mouth reconstructions by Dr. Mazaheri.

 

TMJ therapy can have a dramatic improvement to the quality of your life. If you think that you may have TMJ dysfunction, or suffer from any of the above symptoms, please contact our Gilbert dental office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Mazaheri.

 

 

TMJ TREATMENT IN GILBERT