235 North Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL 60067
Dr. Frank Angus, D.D.S.
2400 Pagehurst Drive
Libertyville, IL, 60048
(804) 794-6839
Cloe, Bryan D.D.S.
1216 American Way # 101
Libertyville, IL, 60048-3939
Radke, Kermit M D.D.S.
1900 Hollister Dr # 280
Libertyville, IL, 60048-5260
Showers, Paul F D.D.S.
1117 S Milwaukee Ave # B5
Libertyville, IL, 60048-5259
Some 10 million people suffer from some form of TMJ Disorder: from jaw clicking or jaw popping whenever they yawn to intense migraine-like pain in the area around their ears. The temporomandibular joint is the hinge between your jaw and skull. The bone and muscles permit your jaw to move—not just up and down, but left and right, in and out. This kind of complexity is what makes TMJ Syndrome so common, and often so difficult to diagnose.
Modern dentistry has a whole array of TMJ Disorder responses—so your first response should be to make an appointment.
For some people, the answer may be a custom-fitted mouth guard to keep them from teeth grinding in their sleep. There’s even a battery-powered miniature sensing device, worn at night, to alert you when grinding occurs. Another plug-in device helps eliminate spasms and jaw pain by applying moist heat to the source of the pain for several minutes at a time.
If the problem stems from tooth alignment, orthodontic treatment can relieve the stress. Physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and stress management are all possibilities. The key, as always, is identifying the problem and then finding the response that works best for you.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
TMJ dysfunction is a living nightmare for an estimated 50 million Americans who suffer from this distress. And the fact that many dentists and physicians fail to diagnose this disorder means that people are suffering needlessly and spending money on office visits and drugs that give them no relief. But there is hope when TMJ is diagnosed correctly.
Symptoms include head, neck, and back aches. You may also have earaches, bouts of deafness, or ringing in your ears. You may hear clicking and popping when you chew. Some patients experience dizziness, chronic fatigue, and difficulty swallowing. And it usually starts with jaw misalignment.
When there's an imbalance in the jaws, the muscles in the neck and shoulders try to compensate, causing pains and headaches that can't be relieved until the jaws are realigned.
How do dentists realign the jaws? With a special dental splint and by repositioning the teeth using grinding procedures to produce a better fit between the upper and lower teeth. In a small number of instances, surgery may be required.
If you or someone you love suffer from the symptoms of TMJ dysfunction, call your dentist's office and set up a consultation. It may end years of suffering and pain.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
