SANTA CRUZ, SCOTTS VALLEY CA
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 20.9% of adults in the United States live with chronic pain; that’s more than one out of every five Americans. If you are one of the people who suffer with chronic pain, we know how important it is to find relief. One of the potential causes of this chronic pain could be temporomandibular disorder. Today on the blog, we explore how TMJ disorder can cause chronic pain, and how your neuromuscular dentists in Scotts Valley can help.
TMJ disorder and its effects
Your temporomandibular joint is a small, round joint on either side of the head that connects your jaw to your skull. If the temporomandibular joint begins to malfunction, you may have difficulty opening and closing your jaws or hearing a clicking motion.
The symptoms of TMJ disorder vary widely from person to person but one of the most common symptoms is pain, which may emanate from the jaws or teeth. As TMJ disorder worsens, the effects may spread, affecting the surrounding joints and musculature and then potentially radiating throughout the body. This pain could eventually affect the neck or back, or lead to an earache. You may experience tingling in the extremities or frequent headaches, especially first thing in the morning.
TMJ disorder and chronic headaches
If you are living with headaches caused by TMJ disorder, they often may be misdiagnosed as migraine headaches. This is because the temporomandibular joint is located in close proximity to the trigeminal nerve, a crucial neural pathway that transmits more sensory information to the brain than any other nerve. When the trigeminal nerve becomes impacted by TMJ disorder, it sends impulses of pain to the brain that trigger a tension headache.
Living with pain caused by TMJ disorder
TMJ disorder is a serious medical condition; in addition to being a challenging diagnosis. Failure to receive proper treatment means your TMJ disorder and its effects will only get more severe. If you need to treat your TMJ disorder in Scotts Valley, a neuromuscular dentist is the best qualified medical professional to assist you. Neuromuscular dentistry is an advanced specialization of dental science that requires rigorous post-graduate education and training. Our dentists, Drs. Max and Ariana Ebrahimian, both have studied neuromuscular dentistry at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies.
Our treatment options for TMJ disorder include:
- The use of custom-made orthotic devices to alleviate the pressure on the temporomandibular joint
- Having your bite adjusted
- The use of neuromuscular functional orthodontics (NFOs)
- Cosmetic and restorative dental procedures
- Full mouth rejuvenation
- A referral to an oral surgeon, which occurs in rare cases.
TMJ disorder treatment in Los Gatos, Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz in California
If you have been living with chronic pain and struggling to find relief, then you should be screened by a neuromuscular dentist to determine if TMJ disorder could be the culprit. Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry is proud to offer our services in neuromuscular dentistry to our patients throughout the Central Coast of California. To schedule an appointment with one of our neuromuscular dentists, call (831) 438-4411 or contact us online.
