Say Goodbye to Chronic Jaw Pain & Headaches
Stiffness in the jaw. Popping and clicking whenever you open and close your mouth. Chronic headaches and migraines. Pain in the neck and shoulders. All of these can stem from the same source: a stressed or inflamed TMJ (temporomandibular joint). The TMJ is the joint that allows your lower jaw to move in all directions, and like others in the body, it can sometimes develop dysfunction, leading to a TMJ disorder (or TMD). At Exceptional Smiles, Dr. Solich is specially trained to handle these kinds of issues and can provide targeted therapies to help patients get the long-term relief they need.
Diagnosis & Treatment
A TMD can develop for many different reasons, but the most common tend to be stress, strain, an injury to the joint, or arthritis. If a patient reports or exhibits any TMD-like symptoms, Dr. Solich will perform a number of tests and scans to determine the underlying cause of the problem. As an expert in neuromuscular dentistry, he understands that pain in the jaw or head may actually be connected to stress in a different part of the body. Once he finds the source of the issue, he can recommend the appropriate treatment.
Equilibration/Occlusal Adjustments
A misaligned bite can often be the cause of a TMD. When the teeth don’t come together properly, this prevents the muscles in and around the jaw from ever fully relaxing, which can lead to tension that quickly turns into pain. By simply reshaping a few key teeth, Dr. Solich can restore balance to the bite and help eliminate stubborn jaw pain at the same time. He usually only needs to remove a few millimeters of enamel to accomplish this, so this treatment doesn’t have any effect on the appearance of the smile.
Occlusal Splints
An occlusal splint is a special kind of oral appliance that slightly adjusts the jaw into a more natural and relaxed position in order to help someone overcome TMD-related symptoms. A patient only has to wear it to bed, and it can even help with another common problem associated with TMD—nighttime teeth grinding. After a few weeks of consistent use, a patient should be able to go throughout their day without any lingering issues.
Treatment with a TENS Machine
TENS stands for “transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation,” and while that might be a mouthful, the way the machine works is actually pretty straightforward. Small electrodes are attached to the face and jaw, and the machine sends tiny micropulses into the area. This massages the muscles, increases blood flow to the area, and flushes out inflammatory particles, all of which lessens TMJ pain. The TENS can also serve as an important diagnostic tool, helping Dr. Solich identify which muscles and ligaments in the jaw aren’t functioning properly.
Get Relief for Your TMJ Disorder
Dr. Solich corrects TMJ disorders with neuromuscular dentistry in Colorado Springs, Monument, Castle Rock, Pueblo, and the surrounding areas. Don’t suffer another day with teeth grinding, jaw pain, or bad bites! Contact us now for your appointment.