You shouldn’t have to live with pain in your jaw. You shouldn’t wake up morning after morning with another headache or earache.
And you certainly don’t want to grind away the enamel on your teeth.
All of those are symptoms of a TMJ disorder, and if you are experiencing any of them, then you have a reason to call 651-319-9064 and make an appointment with Dr. Mark W. Wilhelm.
If you live in or within driving distance of Woodbury, MN, then Dr. Wilhelm offers the best treatments for TMJ problems. Using advanced technology and a comprehensive approach to this issue, he can help you get the right treatment to provide long-term results.
If you are ready for your pain to go away, make plans to visit our office today.
The Causes of TMJ Disorders
Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are the joints that allow you to open and close your mouth. You may be able to feel them if you place your fingers on either side of your face, just below your ears.
Many things can contribute to TMJ problems, such as arthritis, traumatic injuries, and illnesses. If your teeth are misaligned, this can put added pressure on these joints and the connected muscle tissue. (Losing teeth can contribute to this problem as well, which is one of the reasons we recommend replacing missing teeth as soon as possible.)
Perhaps the biggest factor in TMJ disorders, however, is something you may not realize you are doing — clenching and grinding your teeth. Many people do this subconsciously in stressful moment, but millions of people also grind their teeth unconsciously when they are sleeping. This too may be a reaction to the stress in your life.
No wonder your jaw is sore, your head hurts, or both when you wake up after grinding away for hours each night.
Any one of these things or any combination of them could be why you are dealing with TMJ troubles.
Should You Seek TMJ Treatment
As you are already aware, headaches can have a variety of causes, too, and many of them may have nothing to do with TMJ.
So, how do you know if you should schedule an appointment with Dr. Wilhelm to discuss TMJ?
Look for some of the other common symptoms. In addition to frequent headaches, do you:
- Often feel pain in your jaw or face?
- Often have a sore jaw during or after eating a meal?
- Ever feel like you can’t fully open or close your jaw?
- Feel like your jaw is stuck?
- Hear a clicking or popping sound when you open and close your jaw?
- Have frequent earaches?
- Have frequent pain in your neck, shoulders, or upper back?
Many people can alleviate the pain with an over-the-counter pain reliever, but something more serious is wrong if you have to take them every single day.
Most people will experience TMJ symptoms from time to time. You can try some of the home treatments recommended by the TMJ Association. Just pay attention to whether your self-treatment helped or if the problem keeps recurring.
If your symptoms keep coming back, please plan to visit with us.
Our Advanced Approach to TMJ
As we noted above, the alignment of your teeth can be a big factor in your condition. The amount of pressure you apply may be an issue, too. Researchers who study TMJ disorders have frequently measured people generating 500 pounds of pressure or more when they grind their teeth in their sleep!
We have tools to measure how balanced the pressure is along your jaw when you bite down. We have tools to precisely measure how your upper and lower jaws are aligned. We also have tools that can measure subtle changes in the sounds created when you open and close your mouth.
With this information, we can custom design a mouthguard that slightly adjusts the resting position of your jaw. This will prevent you from grinding your teeth and help your jaw stay relaxed.
Using this can stop the damage to your teeth, and it could eliminate the jaw pain, headaches, and other pains you have been dealing with for months or years.
Stop the Pain
The sooner you make your appointment with Dr. Wilhelm, the sooner you can get rid of your TMJ troubles. Call 651-319-9064 or contact us online to request your appointment today
