Don’t Let TMJ Pain Cripple Your Life: Find Relief at a Dentist’s Office

Are you experiencing constant headaches and migraines without relief? Do your jaws click or pop whenever you open your mouth? The culprit could be temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). Beachside Smiles in Manhattan Beach, California, understands the discomfort and pain of living with TMJ disorder. Dr. Don Mungcal and the team are committed to providing effective TMD treatment to help you live a pain-free lifestyle. 

TMJ disorder symptoms

The TMJ is a hinge-like joint on either side of the mouth that connects the lower jaw to the skull. This flexible joint allows your jaws to move sideways, up, and down when talking, eating, yawning, etc. You hardly notice the presence of the TMJs, but when they’re strained, injured, or inflamed, you may experience numerous unpleasant symptoms, including:

• Chronic headaches and migraines
• Popping or clicking sounds when using your jaws
• Locked Jaws
• Pain in the face, neck, and ears
• Jaw pain
• Restricted jaw movement

TMD has numerous symptoms, some of which can be confusing to the point of thinking the problem is elsewhere other than the jaw. Because diagnosing TMJ pain can be challenging, work with a TMJ specialist like Dr. Mungcal. He has a deeper understanding of the jaw system, including the muscles, joints, and nerves, crucial in diagnosing and resolving TMJ issues with long-lasting results.

Causes of TMJ dysfunction

The exact causes of TMD remain a mystery, but certain factors have been known to increase the occurrence of this condition. Bruxism or chronic teeth grinding is one of the risk factors for TMD. When you grind teeth subconsciously at night, you place excessive pressure on the teeth and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), straining the jaw muscles, joints, and surrounding structures. 

Bruxism gradually wears down the jaw structures, causing undesirable symptoms like headaches, soreness, and pain that radiates to the face, ears, and neck. Besides bruxism, the other common causes of TMD include inflammation, injury, and connective tissue diseases.

Treating TMJ pain at a dentist’s office

Mild TMJ pain can be managed with home remedies (like applying ice and using soft foods), but persistent and excruciating TMJ pain requires the help of a dentist. The first step before administering treatment is to diagnose the condition. We inspect your teeth, jaw movement, and bite alignment to determine your jaw health.

If we diagnose you with TMD, we’ll prescribe a customized oral splint to relieve short and long-term pain. A customized mouthguard protects your teeth and entire smile from bruxism-induced pressure. Reducing teeth-grinding pressure allows the jaw joint to relax and eventually heal.

A customized dental splint works for many TMD cases. However, if this treatment doesn’t offer the much-needed relief, we’ll recommend other treatment options, including orthodontics, Botox injections, and medications. Our team will work with you to ensure you get relief for a pain-free lifestyle. 

Jaw pain relief near me

No one deserves to live in pain. So, if TMJ dysfunction is wreaking havoc on your health, please call (310) 643-6004 to find relief from Beachside Smiles. 

Our dental team will create a personalized treatment plan to alleviate your symptoms and provide long-lasting solutions to improve your quality of life.

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