Your Lethbridge Invisalign® Provider
At Legacy Dental, our team of knowledgeable dental professionals can help realign your bite and help to relieve the symptoms associated with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
TMD Treatment in Lethbridge
Once you have been diagnosed with TMD, Dr. Ian Miller can determine the treatment that is best suited for your needs. Typically treatment will follow three steps:
Relieve muscle spasm and pain
The immediate concern is to relieve your symptoms. We will use rhythmic pulses from the myotronics "Tens" machine to relax the muscles of the jaw and neck. The pulses from the "Tens" machine increases blood flow and pumps out the waste products from the muscles. It also helps with pain relief by stimulating the body’s production of endorphins, which is the body’s natural anesthetic.
After the muscles of the neck and jaw are relaxed, Dr. Miller uses the K7 machine which measures the activity of the jaw muscles. This neuromuscular bite position is where the jaw joint and muscles are most comfortable.
Stabilize the bite
A temporary device called an orthotic is worn over your teeth. The orthotic allows Dr. Miller to place the joint and muscles in the neuromuscular bite position. Dr. Miller can make an adjustment to the plastic without adjusting the teeth until the bite is stabilized and the jaw joint has healed.
Long-Term Management
Once the orthotic has provided major relief or resolved the problem, we are able to provide a more definitive treatment. Treatment will depend on your particular condition and could include continued wear of the orthotic appliance, orthodontics, reconstruction of the teeth (veneers, crowns, bridges or implants), or a combination of these procedures to provide a long-term relief of your symptoms.
Painful Symptoms of TMJ Dysfunction
TMJ dysfunction can cause many different types of pain and discomfort.
- Headaches
- Jaw joint pain
- Limited mouth opening
- Dizziness
- Loose teeth
- Facial pain
- Clenching or grinding
- Sensitive teeth
- Neck pain
- Hot & cold sensitivity of teeth
- Chewing difficulties
- Difficulty swallowing