Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders encompass various conditions that affect the jaw’s alignment. The misalignment, in turn, leads to distressing and uncomfortable symptoms including lockjaw, headaches and facial pain.
Most people with TMJ disorders report a reduction in the severity of their symptoms with self-care. These include relaxation techniques, avoiding tough foods and gum chewing, and using cold and heat packs. While these self-care actions will reduce your pain to some extent, they will not be so effective in the long run, however.
Thankfully, there is a range of non-invasive therapies offered by a dental office in Sandy that are guaranteed to eliminate the symptoms of TMJ disorders. Since they require no surgeries, the procedures have reduced effects on your daily life. They will also not permanently alter the position and structure of your teeth and jaw, so you do not need to worry about a completely different appearance.
Here are some of these treatments.
Use of Mouth Guards
These are designed to discourage habits that could aggravate the symptoms of TMJ conditions. These include teeth clenching, teeth grinding and nail biting. The mouth guards will also realign your jaw into its natural resting position.
There are different TMJ mouth guards or orthotics. These include a night guard that manages nighttime bruxism and decreases its damage to teeth. A night oral TMJ appliance reduces the impact of the illness by realigning your jaw’s muscles at night while an orthotic does the same during the day.
Bite Adjustment
Dental malocclusion is among the leading causes of TMJ pain. If your jaw’s misalignment is determined as the cause of your disorder, the dentist will recommend bite adjustment. In this procedure, your teeth’s surface will be reshaped so that the excessive pressure on the teeth caused by misalignment is eliminated.
TENS Therapy
This is a painless form of nerve stimulation. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TEN) allows your jaws to rest in a natural and comfortable position, reducing your overall pain. To get complete pain relief, however, most dentists will recommend combining TENS with an orthotic to keep your jaw in proper alignment.
Trudenta~
This is a revolutionary rehabilitative therapy for TMJ patients. The first treatment session consists of a detailed history to pinpoint the cause of your TMJ pain. A Trudenta dentist will then use various techniques including bite force, muscle and range of motion analyses to identify the trigger points of your pain. After this, they will customize a treatment plan based on the cause of your discomfort.
There are different treatment plans in Trudenta including trigger point massage, therapeutic ultrasound, low-level laser and microcurrent stimulation. All these result in complete resolution of your TMJ symptoms. Trudenta is also used for the relief of vertigo and tinnitus, which occurs in some patients with TMJ conditions.
These non-invasive procedures will genuinely change the way you enjoy your life by getting rid of the excruciating pain of TMJ. Other than these, you can opt for minimally invasive procedures like Botox injection, dental crown and implants. The non-invasive treatments, however, are far cheaper compared to their minimally invasive and surgical alternatives.
