TMJ Therapy – Gahanna, OH
Relieve Jaw Pain & Headaches with TMJ Therapy
Does your jaw consistently feel stiff? Does it hurt to talk or chew? Do you frequently get headaches or earaches that over-the-counter medication can’t help? If so, you might be suffering from strained temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which are the small hinges on your jaw located in front of your ears. They normally allow you to speak and eat comfortably, but like other joints in the body, they can become strained and injured. Dr. Clay Odenweller and Dr. Brooke Buller will always examine your TMJ when you come in for a routine checkup, and if we find anything, we can help you get treatment right here. If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms we just mentioned, be sure to contact our dental office today to learn more about TMJ therapy in Gahanna, OH.
Why Choose Claybrooke Dental of Gahanna for TMJ Therapy?
- Customized TMJ Therapy
- We Accept Dental Insurance
- Durable Nightguards for Bruxism Available
TMJ Diagnosis & Treatment
Your teeth are part of a delicate system that includes your mouth, jaw, neck, and facial muscles. If you develop something called TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder), it can throw this entire system off balance and cause a variety of problems including stiffness, soreness, and chronic pain.
When you come in for a routine checkup, we’ll look at your TMJ and make sure you have a completely comfortable and functional range of motion. If you have any kind of problem, you fortunately don’t have to go see a specialist-- we can offer you treatments right here in our dental office. Often, just a few minor adjustments to your teeth or the use of a mouthguard at night can make all the difference. Our approach to treatment is extremely conservative and non-invasive compared to other methods, especially jaw surgery. At our dental office, we always strive to give you the best results via the smoothest path possible.
Equilibration/ Occlusal Adjustments
An equilibration/occlusal adjustment is a minor procedure where we will slightly reshape your teeth so that they come together in a more functional manner. When you close your mouth, sometimes certain portions of your teeth can be put under extreme pressure, and this can stimulate the nerve in the socket and cause quite a bit of pain. We’ll take an impression of your teeth to find these trouble spots and gently buff them away so that this doesn’t happen.
Occlusal Splints
The jaw can become slightly misaligned for a number of reasons, and this can lead to limited function and even unconscious teeth grinding (bruxism). To help correct this kind of issue, we can provide you with a small mouthpiece called an occlusal splint. It helps put your jaw into a more natural position, and you will only wear it to bed. Over time, your jaw will begin to naturally assume this new position so you’ll be without pain or dysfunction in the future.
TMJ Treatment FAQs
Is TMJ Treatment Safe?
We take the safety and health of our treatments incredibly seriously, which is why we work extremely hard to constantly expand our clinical knowledge. We can therefore guarantee that any treatment you receive from us in order to treat your TMJ will be completely safe.
We also make it a point to offer patients the most conservative option that can help them, which minimizes the risks associated with your dental work.
How Long Does TMJ Treatment Take?
As you can imagine, the amount of time that it’ll take to complete your TMJ treatment will depend on which treatment that you pursue.
We offer services to our patients that will treat their TMJ disorder permanently, which means that our treatments take a little longer to complete. Occlusal splints will typically need to be worn every night over the course of anywhere from weeks to months before your symptoms are fully alleviated. Equilibration adjustments can take several appointments in our office to complete, but once it’s done you should experience relief fairly quickly afterward.
How Long Does Occlusal Equilibration Take for TMJ?
Answering this question conclusively can be a little bit tricky. Once your procedure has been fully completed, you should experience relief from many of your TMJ symptoms fairly soon afterward. However, the number of appointments you’ll need for your equilibration/occlusal adjustments can vary widely.
Depending on the specific adjustments that will need to be made in order to get results, your treatment will need to be completed across one, two, or three appointments. It’s also worth noting that you should feel a little bit of relief after each of the adjustments, and that the appointments themselves should be fairly brief.
Does Occlusal Adjustment for TMJ Hurt?
We believe that the procedures that we offer to our patients ought to be not only efficient, but comfortable at every phase. Occlusal adjustments tend to involve removing enamel from the biting surfaces of the teeth, and we will completely numb the teeth before this is done. We may also use a composite resin to add to the structure of the teeth, which is a painless procedure by its very nature.
As with any procedure that involves altering the teeth, it’s common for patients to be a little bit sore in the days after treatment. However, this should be fairly mild and short-lived.
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