Everyone has a temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. Actually, you’ve got two of them – one on either side of your face, where your jawbone joins your skull. Several unique features of this joint allow your mouth a wide range of movement so you may eat, speak, and make facial expressions comfortably.

But, if you have problems with the joint or the tissues, (ligaments, tendons, muscles, and blood vessels) that surround it and make it work, you may be suffering from TMD. Dysfunction of the TMJ is called TMD, short for temporomandibular joint disorder.

TMD is not limited to soreness in the mouth or jaw. This chronic inflammation can literally be a pain in the neck. It can also cause recurring migraine headaches, impaired movement of the joint, making it uncomfortable, even painful, to chew and talk. Sleeplessness, earaches, grating, pops, or clicks from the joint, and hearing loss may also occur.

The pain you may experience with TMD can be caused by a number of factors. A tendency to grind your teeth at night might be the culprit. It could be caused by certain degenerative diseases, head trauma, or even gum chewing. But, most commonly, it is simply due to an improper relationship between the upper and lower jaws.

At Alex Bell Dental, we take a whole body approach to relieving TMD.

We begin by fitting the patient with a splint which is worn at night. You might know it as a night guard or a mouth guard. The splint artificially changes your bite to a proper alignment of the jaws. It corrects the relationship between the upper and lower teeth helping to ease the pain.

We then work in conjunction with a respected chiropractor to ensure alignment of your spine.

Finally, we recommend treatment by a massage therapist to relax the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and back.

We have had great success in alleviating TMD with this threefold treatment plan.