Do You Have?
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Frequent Headaches or Migraines
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Face or Neck Pain
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Painful Jaw Joints
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Chipped, Worn, or Broken Teeth
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Grinding or Clenching
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Clicking or Popping Jaw
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Ringing Ears or Vertigo (dizziness)
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Congestion or stuffiness of the ears
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Pain in teeth that seems to move around
Clenching? Grinding? Headaches? Migraines?
These problems are all in your head – Literally!
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) describes a variety of conditions that affect jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints, and nerves associated with chronic facial pain. Symptoms may occur on one or both sides of the face, head or jaw, or develop after injury. TMD affects twice as many women then men.
Services | Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction
TMJ Treatment in Ardsley and surrounding communities
What is the temporomandibular joint? (TMJ)
The temporomandibular joint is a joint that slides and rotates just in front of your ear, consisting of the temporal bone (side of skull) and the mandible (lower jaw). Chewing muscles connect the lower jaw to the skull, allowing you to move your jaw forward, sideways and open and close. The joint works properly when the lower jaw and its joint (both the right and left) are synchronized during movement. TMD may occur when the joint/disk/muscle complex malfunctions during opening, closing, or side-motion movements. These movements affect the jaw joint and the muscles that control chewing.
What causes TMD?
TMJ disorder does not appear overnight and it often takes years to develop. Many people think that emotional stress causes symptoms of TMJ such as grinding or clenching your teeth but often TMJ problems are attributed to a misaligned bite. When upper teeth do not meet properly to lower teeth, the strain on joints and muscles of the jaw, face, head, and neck can ultimately lead to headaches, jaw pain, and even migraines.
TMJ
Additionally, trauma or certain tasks, either mental or physical, may cause or aggravate TMD, such as stressful situations. Most discomfort is caused from over use of the muscles, specifically clenching or grinding teeth (bruxism). These excessive habits tire the jaw muscles and lead to discomfort, such as headaches or neck pain.
Click image to learn about JVA.
An estimated 45 million in the U.S. suffer with chronic headaches, with approximately half experiencing headaches so serve they become a disabling as migraines. Migraines affect 28 million people, with women suffering at three times the rate as men.It is estimated that 15% of TMJ problems are intracapsular (an internal derangement of the structures of the joint). Only a small percentage of that 15% are a result of trauma. This validates that proper bite alignment is an important component of comprehensive dentistry. Dr. Briskin is committed to staying current on successful methods of TMJ therapy. He has completed several hundred hours of advanced training on TMJ using the latest techniques in this area.
Treatment always begins with a comprehensive exam. Using biometrics, which is the gathering of recordable, measureable, and reproducible data from the patient a diagnosis begins to be formed. Radiography such as a CT or MRI scans may be required in some cases. Joint Vibration Analysis is a three-minute non-invasive, accurate, objective tool based on principles of motion and function. Also used is the T-Scan, which is a computerized bite analysis instrument that measures occlusal time and force that allows one to see what is invisible to the naked eye. The T-Scan can be used as a diagnostic and finishing tool. Many times bite appliances or guards aid in achieving muscle comfort and allow proper jaw joint alignment, which will eliminate the associated pain.
Many Americans spend years seeking relief from pain, headaches, and migraines without success. The best solution for TMD patients may exist in being effectively and thoroughly treated by a dentist who can make a more accurate diagnosis guided by objective data and can deliver refined treatment.