TMJ in San Antonio is quickly becoming one of the more popular reasons why patients are calling upon dentists like Dr. Alex Cavazos for relief. What do the letters TMJ mean to you? Do they make you think of teeth grinding? Do they remind you of how much jaw pain you always seem to have? Do you not even want to think about it because you run the risk of having to endure yet another headache?
TMJ actually refers to the temporomandibular joint or the part of your body that connects your lower jaw to your skull or temporal bone. This little joint has a big job day in and day out. It’s responsible for just about everything you do with your mouth, such as chewing, speaking, and yawning. Sometimes the joint becomes damaged, either overtime or by trauma, and that’s when the pain and discomfort sets in for many patients. We refer to these issues as temporomandibular disease or TMD. Common TMD symptoms include:
- Swelling around the face or jaw
- Popping or clicking in our jaw
- Incessant headaches, face, and jaw pain
- Clenching your teeth and jaw
- Damaging teeth grinding
- Neck and shoulder tenderness
- Ringing in the ears
- Depression and anxiety
If you take a look at the list, isn’t it easy to see why so many patients have TMD that continuously goes undiagnosed? They can be seen as individual health problems all on their own or confused as signs of another underlying illness.
Get Help Here, With Us
You shouldn’t have to manage or deal with your TMJ pain every day. That never-ending cycle stops here, with help from Dr. Cavazos. He has extensive training specifically devoted to helping patients of all ages find TMJ relief. He believes in the powerful concept of centric relation, a concept that suggests there’s a perfect position for your jaw alignment. This allows for optimal function in both your surrounding nerves and muscles. Altogether, it means a whole lot of relief for you, from the pain you thought would never go away. Centric relation can be applied to every patient, no matter what the current status is of oral or overall health.
Once we locate the correct centric relation position for your TMJ, you might notice an immediate reduction in your pain and stress. It’s a double win! Dr. Cavazos can also recommend bite splint therapy, which will ensure your jaw stays in the proper centric relation position.
It’s time to stop wondering where your pain and discomfort is coming from. Start finding a solution. Talk to us about TMJ/TMD therapy and how bite splint therapy can help.
