Successful treatment for TMJ & TMD from your dentist near Kettering, OH includes self help

Our oral cavity encompasses far more than a set of teeth. Our ability to speak, laugh, chew, kiss, and smile comes from an intricate conglomeration of muscles, ligaments, bones, and joints. The joints responsible for the various movements the jaw can accomplish are the temporomandibular joints. Each of us has two of these joints, located where the jaw meets the skull, just in front of the ears.

Under certain conditions, dysfunction within these joints may occur, leading to the need for professional treatment. For most people, TMJ & TMD may be confusing. In actuality, they are one and the same. Our TMJs are the joints themselves, and TMD stands for TMJ Disorder, the condition of dysfunction. We visit with patients from Kettering, OH and surrounding areas, offering a well-rounded approach to treatment.

TMJ disorder is somewhat challenging to recognize, only because many of the symptoms are assumed to be random in nature, or associated with some other condition. Some of the symptoms people experience with TMJ disorder include:

• Migraines or chronic headaches.
• Chronic, unexplained discomfort in the face, neck, shoulders, or even low back.
• Tingling in hands and fingers.
• Popping or clicking in the jaw when speaking or eating.
• Teeth clenching or grinding (bruxism).
• Chronic ear pain.
• Limited mobility of the jaw.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 10 Million Americans are affected by TMJ Disorder at one point or another.

Treating TMJ with various modalities

For some time now, there have been limited solutions to handling TMJD. Physicians may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling within joints. Within dentistry, the standard of care is to address the stress beneath TMJ disorder. Symptoms evolve as the joints and surrounding structures are placed under a great deal of stress.

Dr. Cobb has joined with area specialists, including massage therapists and chiropractors, who have insight into the triggers of TMJ symptoms. As a team, we work together to alleviate stress through the creation of a custom oral appliance, as well as education into lifestyle changes for stress reduction, both physical and mental.

It is possible to find relief from the discomfort of TMJ disorder. Contact us for your evaluation today, and return to a state of comfortable function.