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TMJ TREATMENT AND SPLINTS
Perhaps the most important part of your initial comprehensive exam involves examination and discussion of the health of your temporomandibular joints (TMJ). Your TMJs are the hinges for your biting or mastilatory system which includes the right and left TMJs, your biting muscles and your teeth.
TMJs can be damaged from trauma or dental malocclusion (a bad bite). TMJ problems can be progressive in nature. Also, may include clicks, pops or noises in the joint area, locking of the mouth open or closed, limited mouth opening, pain in the TMJ area, ringing in the ears, temporal headaches, bite muscle pain and associated problems with the teeth. Problems may include dental pain, cracked teeth, mobile teeth, bone loss around teeth, recession and abfractions (wearing away of enamel) of teeth.
Treatment involves joint health assessment (TMJ exam) and appropriate treatment related to diagnosis. MRIs are used in some cases to find the extent of joint damage. Splints are used to establish the “perfect bite” to assess joint health and stability. Splints are assessed monthly to establish if the patient is pain free with a stable non-changing bite. Medications are used in some cases to reduce inflammation and reduce muscle activity. Other treatments involve restoring the bite to ideal function and/or skeletal or TMJ surgery.
In all TMJ treatment, our ultimate goal is to restore the bite to optimal bite or occlusion. Ideally, this follows two principles. The first principle, is to have the teeth contact perfectly even with the TMJs in their correct anatomical position. The second principle, is called anterior guidance, this is the front teeth (ideally the canines) touching in all lateral tooth movements to prevent the back teeth from touching. This goal can be accomplished by different methods depending on the patient’s bite. Treatment can vary from minimal adjusting on the teeth (occlusal equilibration), to restorative dentistry, orthodontics, skeletal surgery, TMJ surgery or even full mouth reconstruction. Understanding these principles is the basis of all our dentistry. Dr. Jaksa has extensive advanced education in this area at the highly respected Center for Advanced Dental Study in St. Petersburg, Florida. He feels this allows him to be extremely competent in this area of dentistry.
Email us: staff@ladpa.com
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