TMJ Treatment
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ/TMD) are very common, especially in women during their child-bearing years. Some of the TMD symptoms we see at Craniofacial Pain Center Of Colorado include:
- Pain in the jaw or face
- Headaches
- A popping or clicking of the jaw joints
- A crunching sound in the jaw joints
- Catching or locking of the jaw
- Pain when chewing
- Ear pain without an ear infection present
- A congested feeling or ringing in the ears
The quantity and frequency of the symptoms listed above varies with each patient. Dr. Bieneman will work with your primary care doctor, dentist and other medical professionals to accurately diagnose your TMJ problem so we can provide the best treatment solution.
Possible TMJ/TMD Treatments
We offer TMJ treatment in Arvada, Colorado, specific to your diagnosis. One of the most common treatments we offer are oral orthotics, or splints. If your treatment requires day use splints, then we will create comfortable ones that are only worn on your bottom teeth. If you require night use splints, then we create a set for the upper teeth.
Additional TMJ therapy solutions may include some of the following:
- Therapeutic injections
- “Unlocking” procedures
- Prolo-therapy
- Trigger point injections
- Moist heat application
- TENS therapy
- Ultrasound
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medication
Irreversible Treatments To Avoid
We will offer the best treatment solutions available to heal your mouth of TMJ disorder. However, other medical professionals may suggest TMJ treatment solutions that are irreversible, and that sometimes do more harm than good. We suggest that you avoid some of the following treatments:
- Equilibration (grinding of the teeth to improve the bite)*
- Orthodontics*
- Crowning the teeth*
- Root canal therapy
- Tooth extraction
- Any type of surgery on the TMJ or jaw
*The American Dental Association refers to these treatments as “phase two therapy,” which should only be performed after “phase one therapy” is successfully completed. We only recommend these procedures in extremely rare cases.
