Temporal Mandibular Joint Disease (TMD)

Many times people suffer from sore muscles and joints. They have frequent headaches and the jaw joints pop and click with pain. There must be a good relationship between the teeth, chewing muscles, and joints. If the relationship is out of balance, a person can suffer. The jaw joint is very unique in the fact that it can rotate as well as move out of the socket without dislocating.

This disease goes through five stages of breakdown and pain can come and go. TMD must be diagnosed and the cause must be identified to stop this disease. It can never be changed without surgery so it is important to seek help when signs start to appear. Frequent headaches in the side of the head, down the face and into the neck relate to sore chewing muscles. Popping and clicking or a grating sound, as well as pain in the ears are signs of jaw joint problems. Broken and cracked teeth or noticeable wear, as well as grinding of teeth are also part of this problem. Many times with pain in the ears, a person seeks consultation from a physician known as an ENT. This doctor will rule out an inner ear infection. They may or may not know that it could be TMD.

Symptoms associated with TMJ disorders may be:

  • Biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort
  • Clicking, popping, or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth
  • Dull, aching pain in the face
  • Earache
  • Headache
  • Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw
  • Reduced ability to open or close the mouth
  • Tinnitus
  • Neck and shoulder pain

My practice is devoted to getting to the cause of the problem. Working on creating a firm foundation is the key to long term dental health.

Click here for more in-depth information on Wikipedia.

BiteFX™ Consultation Technology

We are committed to the effective treatment of the destructive effects of occlusal disease. We use a novel and exciting presentation tool called BiteFX™ that uses friendly animations to explain problems in a way that makes sense to the patient. With BiteFX, our patients quickly understand complicated concepts that were previously difficult and time consuming to explain. We can also combine photos of your mouth with the BiteFX animations to give you an even better appreciation of our treatment recommendations. If you'd like to check out more details about BiteFX, you can do so at their website: www.bitefx.com. Below is an example of a BiteFX™ consultation:



If you or someone you know suffers from these symptoms, they do not have to continue suffering. Call my office at (402) 572-8000 and we will work together to make you more comfortable.