Chewing is something that is done without thinking about it. When that simple movement causes excruciating pain, there is cause for concern. This can be caused by temporomandibular joint disorder, often abbreviated to TMJ. It affects the muscles that are used when chewing and those connecting the skull and the lower jaw. Pain in the jaw often shoots up and a headache starts. Dr. Engel and Dr. Dana, Los Angeles dentist team, are providing high level dental care that eliminates these headaches.
Most TMJ symptoms are caused by the strain on the structures around the joint including the teeth. The precise cause of TMJ goes undiagnosed in many. However, one thing that is known to cause it is a bad bite, and the habit of grinding the teeth at night. However, not all teeth grinders have TMJ. When it is caused by a bad bite, patients can experience a headache, cracked teeth, strained mouth movements and a click or pop when the mouth is moved.
TMJ can usually managed many different ways, including using relaxing and stretching exercises around the jaw to remove the tightness causing the pain. Massage is commonly used to do this. Heat and cold packs, as well as pain medication may be used.
Two LA doctors have found a way to prevent TMJ headaches by taking care of the dental problems that cause them. They do this by examining the teeth using digital x-ray machine that clearly shows the teeth in great detail. They also look at the nerves and gums to see what could be causing the pain that moves upwards and is felt as a headache.
They are able to find the underlying problem which would have been impossible to detect using standard strength x-rays. They employ a number of methods to take care of the problem, depending on what the problem is. They may use braces to correct a poor bite, put in a bite splint (night guard), or other dental proceduresto take care of underlying problems such as damaged nerves.
Many patients have found lasting relief from TMJ headaches once the dental problems have been taken care of by Dr. Engel and Dr. Dana. They are doing what another Los Angeles dentist may choose to refer to these dentists.