Temporomandibular joint disorder, also called TMJ or TMD, is an often undiagnosed neuromuscular condition that affects millions of Americans each year. While the symptoms can vary from person to person, headaches, pain and tension on the sides of your face can decrease your quality of life. At Beverly Hills Dental Health and Wellness, we use a biological, whole-body approach to dental care for our patients in the Beverly Hills and Encino, CA area. This includes offering chiropractic care by our in house chiropractor Dr. Joseph Canul to properly align your jaw, head, neck, and body to help alleviate your TMJ symptoms prior to us prescribing you a Nightguard.
TMJ explained
TMJ disorder is a general term for the pain and other symptoms that arise when the temporomandibular joints, located right in front of your ears, become inflamed. This can happen due to a variety of reasons, including:
- Clenching and grinding your teeth (bruxism)
- Lifestyle habits such as chewing on gum, cradling your phone in your neck
- Traumatic injury to the head
- Arthritis in the joint
- Stress, which causes tightening of the jaw and facial muscles surrounding the joint
- Neuromuscular issues
- Misalignment of the teeth or malocclusion (crooked and missing teeth create a unbalance)
Other joints in the body typically move in one direction (such as an elbow), the Temporomandibular joint is one of the among the most complex joints in the body. They help move the jaw in multiple directions so you can speak, chew your food, yawn, smile, and make other facial expressions. Excessive forces placed on the joints due to misalignment or muscle tension in the area make these joints susceptible to injury and inflammation. People with TMJ disorder might experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw
- The sensation that the jaw is locked in place (either in an open or closed position)
- Pain when opening and closing the jaw
- Tenderness or swelling in the jaw or side of the face
- Headaches or neck pain
- Pain when chewing
- The sensation that your bite is “off”
- Ear pain and/or ringing in the ears
Chiropractic care for TMJ disorder
While some providers will simply try to mask TMJ pain with medications, at Beverly Hills Dental Health and Wellness, we use a natural approach that combines dental and chiropractic care to address the underlying issues and provide lasting pain relief. Dr. Joseph Canul has over four decades of experience treating TMJ disorder and together with dr Sanda Moldovan, he uses a comprehensive approach to properly align your head, neck, and body to alleviate your pain. Our dental team works in tandem with Dr. Canul to provide dental treatments designed for your specific needs—such as a custom oral appliance, peptide injections, laser pain therapy, and dietary supplements that help relieve the pain that you can regain your quality of life.
Partners in your careYou do not have to suffer from TMJ related pain. To schedule a consultation and learn how our multidisciplinary team can help get you out of pain so you can get back to enjoying your daily life, call us today at (310) 692-7855 or book your appointment online.
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