TMJ Treatment Winnipeg

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) can lead to jaw pain, headaches, and difficulty eating. You don’t have to live with this discomfort. If you’re experiencing symptoms of TMD, WestSide Dental can help. 

What is TMJ disorder?

The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are the jaw joints which connect your jawbone to your skull. You can feel your TMJs by placing your fingers in front of your ears and opening your mouth. 

What we call TMDs are actually a wide variety of different problems related to the TMJ. The most common forms of TMD are caused by problems with the muscles surrounding the joint, rather than with the joint itself. There are forms of TMD that are caused by joint problems. Arthritis, for example, is a common cause of TMD.

What causes TMD?

Think of TMD as a symptom of some other problem. TMDs can be caused by (among other things): 

• Injury to the jaw
• Arthritis
• Dislocation of part of the TMJ
• Grinding or clenching your teeth 

When you come into our office for TMD symptoms, we’ll start by diagnosing the probable cause of your pain and discomfort. The most common cause, by far, is the grinding and clenching of your teeth – known in the dental world as bruxism. 

Bruxism has a number of possible causes, but the most common cause is stress. 

That may come as no surprise. Life can be incredibly stressful. Even once your stress is gone, once bruxism becomes a habit, it can be hard to stop. Nighttime bruxism is not uncommon – you might be grinding your teeth and not even know it!

What are the symptoms of TMD?

The symptoms of TMD can become a serious source of stress. TMDs can make it difficult to open your mouth, making it hard to eat. They can also lock your mouth in an open or shut position. You may hear clicking and popping sounds when opening or closing your mouth. 

Most of all, patients report feeling pain – tenderness in the face, around the jaw joint, and even in the neck and shoulders. Swelling can also occur. 

Our goal when treating TMDs, is to get to the root of the problem and address it. We know that the symptoms can be incredibly difficult to deal with. While we’re treating the cause of your TMD, we’ll also give you tips, tools, and techniques to alleviate any discomfort or pain caused by its symptoms.

Treatments for TMD

The treatment for TMD depends on its cause. When we find that cause, we’ll create the appropriate treatment plan for you. 

For most patients, the solution is a custom night guard. While there are store-bought night guards, they are less effective, because they’re not perfectly fitted to your mouth. Our custom night guards redistribute the force from your muscles, dispersing it evenly throughout your teeth and jaw bones. This leads to far less pressure on your jaw joints. For patients who grind their teeth at night, it’s like resting a sprained ankle instead of running on it for 8 hours every day.

Tired of jaw pain? WestSide Dental can help

We will help you with any dental problems that rise up because of your TMD or bruxism habit. Our dental restoration services can fix any broken teeth, and, working with you, we’ll create a complete path to healing. 

You deserve to live a life without jaw pain, and with the full ability of enjoying your meals without worrying about whether or not your jaw will lock. WestSide Dental your Charleswood Dentist offers TMD treatment in Winnipeg, MB and the surrounding area – if you’re in pain, we can help.