I treat one of the most misunderstood and therefore misdiagnosed disorders: tempromandibular joint disorder. I know, that’s a mouthful. Maybe you know it better as TMJ. Most people have heard of TMJ, thinking it is all about jaw pain. TMJ disorder is centered around a misalignment of the jaw but the disorder is far more reaching than only jaw pain. In fact, that is what is so misunderstood about TMJ disorder.
There are many nerves and muscles that are connected to or part of the jaw that when that joint is out of alignment, pain symptoms can show up in many places, not necessarily just in the jaw. For instance, facial pain, shoulder pain, migraines and, of course, jaw pain are common symptoms that can manifest from TMJ disorder. But, you can also get back pain and chronic pains that reach down into your arms. In many cases, someone in pain might go to a doctor seeking relief from pain symptoms.
Many times when TMJ disorder is the cause, doctors cannot find the cause of the pain because it is not obviously related to the jaw joint. This is when many doctors will prescribe pain medication and many patients simply live with the pain and the medication rather than seek out a real cure.
I am trained in Neuromuscular Dentistry. This means I know how to spot, test for and diagnose TMJ symptoms. I can treat TMJ disorder with non-invasive methods of realigning the jaw. And, the good news is, once the jaw is realigned, the stress goes off the affected nerves and muscles. Neuromuscular patients can resume life without their chronic TMJ-related pain.
For more information, call Hill Dental Studio at: 469.656.4516