For many patients, TMJ disorder is misdiagnosed as migraines or sinus headaches. Only a visit with Fresno, CA dentist Dr. Claudia Denes will correctly diagnose your temporomandibular joint pain. The symptoms of TMJ disorder confuse many patients. Frequent headaches and intense upper body stiffness are commonly mistaken for other conditions. Dr. Denes non-invasively offers headache relief through TMJ treatment.
Dr. Denes recommends wearing a night guard while you sleep to prevent bruxism (teeth grinding), another common symptom associated with TMJ disorder. For some patients, she encourages orthodontic treatment, such as Invisalign® or traditional braces, to correct malocclusion.
Most commonly, TMJ disorder is a result of misaligned jaws (malocclusion). When the upper and lower jaws don’t align, patients experience excruciating symptoms, such as locked jaw or muscle spasms.
What’s TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorder occurs when malocclusion causes jaw joints to experience unnecessary pressure. There are two joints on either side of your face that connect the jaw to the skull. When these jaw joints are under extreme pressure, masticatory (chewing) muscles are negatively affected. Patients with TMJ disorder often have trouble chewing foods or gum.
Dr. Denes provides headache relief by realigning the upper and lower jaws. When she corrects occlusion, excess pressure is taken off of the temporomandibular joints and the patient experiences headache relief.
TMJ Symptoms
Along with upper body stiffness and jaw pain, TMJ disorder can cause patients to feel dizzy or hear a ringing noise in their ears. This condition can cause a popping or clicking noise to occur each time the mouth is opened. It can also create excruciating pain when you attempt to open or close your mouth.
Some patients report numbness or a tingling sensation in their arms or fingers when they suffer from TMJ disorder.
Perhaps the most common symptoms of TMJ disorder are frequent migraines and headaches. In most situations, migraines are managed by turning out the lights and laying in a dark room until the pain subsides. However, TMJ related migraines won’t go away with this method. Dr. Denes must somehow relieve the pressure being placed on the jaw joints, in order to experience relief.
TMJ and Headache Relief
Dr. Denes treats TMJ disorder and provides headache relief through custom-made night guards. After a consultation, she takes a dental impression of your upper and lower teeth. She uses the impression to create a customized night guard from soft plastic. She instructs patients to wear the night guard each time they sleep, to prevent bruxism (teeth grinding). A night guard holds the jaws in proper position throughout the night, which allows patients to wake up peacefully, without painful symptoms.
In some cases, Dr. Denes recommends orthodontic treatment to pull a misaligned jaw into the correct position. This method is used in situations where a night guard is ineffective.
At-Home Headache Relief
Aside from TMJ treatment with Dr. Denes, there are things that a patient can do at home to experience headache relief. Patients can take over-the-counter NSAIDs (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce discomfort. Dr. Denes recommends Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Tylenol, or Motrin.
Some patients apply a heating pack to the jaw joints to manage pain. Dr. Denes can teach patients some at-home muscle relaxation techniques to relax tense facial muscles for headache relief.
