399 W. Napa St. TMJ or TMD
Smile Makeover Specialist
TMJ, as you know, stands for temporomandibular joint, the joint that articulates the skull with the mandible, or jaw bone. While the term TMJ is reflective of the early belief that these disorders largely originated in the joint itself, more recent knowledge has shown that the true cause of joint problems lies somewhere else. That, combined with the fact that the term TMJ is not really descriptive of a disorder has lead to today’s more common use of the term TMD or Temporo Mandibular Disorder.
Damage to these joints as a result of accidents or arthritis can be quite obvious. As other pain conditions of the head and neck began to be associated with this joint, the term “TMJ” was coined to collectively describe them. Treatments frequently focused on the joint itself and often involved invasive procedures directly within the joint or even surgical replacement of the joint.
However, today it is widely believed that most joint problems are commonly a result of problems elsewhere in the occlusion (or bite ) or muscles that, together with the joints comprise a musculoskeletal system (muscles, teeth and joints).
The many signs and symptoms of TMD often leads the patient to the medical profession prior to consulting with their dentist. It is usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, pain medication or tranquilizers, with mixed results. Drugs can often mask the symptoms, do not treat the underlying cause and may have severe side effects.
With growing technological advances, newer means of evaluating TMD patients has given dentists additional information to expand their diagnostic capability. Those using newer technology feel stronger than ever that the primary problem can often be traced to a poor occlusion (bite) than to the joint itself. Joint problems are frequently related to a misalignment of the teeth (malocclusion) which in turn causes a misaligned joint. Misalignment of joints are often resolved as a result of correcting a malocclusion.
Contact Dr. Lopes today for your neuromuscular dentistry consultation. With his advance training from LVI, he can determine if you have TMD. Your pain free smile may be right around the corner.
