TMD / TMJ

Springfield, Holyoke, Longmeadow, and Wilbraham, MA Neuromuscular Dentistry

How often do you think about your jaw joints? Probably not very often. We tend to take them for granted and chew, talk, laugh and yawn totally unaware of the hard work these delicate and flexible little joints do for us every day. Some people do not even know where they are, thinking, if asked, that they are at the angle of the jaw.

However, when something goes awry and TMD develops, one cannot be unaware of the uncomfortable and painful symptoms. TMD stands for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder – a misaligned bite.

Dentists who are specially trained in the field of neuromuscular dentistry are qualified to diagnose and treat this condition and give you pain relief. At Baystate Dental two of our cosmetic dentists, Dr. Haluch and Dr. Coughlin, are trained neuromuscular dentists.

Symptoms of TMD

Each TMD case is individual and you may have any combination of symptoms:

• Migraine-like headaches
• Jaw popping or other noises such as clicking or grinding
• Jaw muscle stiffness
• Limited jaw movement or “lock jaw”
• Teeth grinding
• Jaw clenching
• Facial pain
• Ear pain and earaches
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Neck or shoulder pain
• Dizziness
• Swelling in the joint areas
• Premature tooth wear
• Poor posture

When your jaw becomes misaligned, you may begin to unconsciously contract your neck, shoulder and back muscles to try to move your jaw back into alignment. Rather than helping the situation, this actually makes it worse.

TMD Diagnosis

We use X-rays and dental examinations to determine whether you are suffering from TMD. We are in the process of acquiring state-of-the-art dental technology to aid in the TMD diagnosis process. The computerized K7 Evaluation System identifies jaw misalignment by using:

• Sonography to record jaw joint sounds
• Electromyography to record muscle electrical activity
• Mandibular scanning to record jaw movement

Treatment of TMD

One of the first steps in treating TMD is to identify your correct jaw position. To do this, we relax your jaw muscles using a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit. This machine sends gentle pulses of electric current that contract and relax the jaw muscles until they are fully relaxed. This may be the first time in years that your jaw has been in its correct position and you will feel immediate pain relief.

Now we have established the goal of your treatment plan – to make this correct jaw position permanent. Some of the treatment options are:

• A custom-made night guard or splint to prevent you from grinding or clenching your teeth during sleep
• Restorative or corrective dental procedures, such as dental implants, dental bridges or braces
• Relaxation techniques, because TMD can be caused by stress
• Jaw stretching exercises
• Surgery, but is a last resort

No two TMD treatment plans are exactly the same, and it may take several attempts to find the right one for you.

If you are suffering from the painful symptoms of TMD, please contact our neuromuscular dentists at Baystate Dental today to arrange a TMD consultation at one of our Springfield, Longmeadow or Wilbraham offices.