TMJ Treatment

Do you wake up with a soreness in your jaw, or at the point where it connects to the side of your head? If so, it could be a condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder or dysfunction, where this connection becomes inflamed or damaged. This area is a common source of discomfort, and ignoring it can cause more physical trauma at the location. When you experience pain as a result of this condition, you might alter the way that you chew or speak, as to not aggravate the area.

If you find yourself taking special care of your smile, discuss your options with a trusted TMJ specialist, so that you know your options in finding a lasting solution. At Modern Smiles in North Hollywood, CA, we are here to help you to reach relief in your jaw tightness and discomfort. An oral appliance helps through the immobilization of your jaw while you sleep, so that nightly side-to-side movement does not continue to inflame the joint. Speak to us, and see if a non-surgical sleep appliance is the right solution for you! (more…)

Looking and feeling your best comes down to several points, and one of the most important is your smile. Indeed, a bright and vibrant smile is often indicative of excellent oral health, higher confidence, and a more optimistic overall outlook on life. Though your smile’s appearance is important, it is also necessary to make considerations about your oral health and the many concerns that can complicate it. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist discusses the influence of chronic teeth grinding on your oral health and how we help treat bruxism and TMJ disorder.

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Looking and feeling your best takes a number of forms. These can include seeking some R&R with spa therapy, or simply enhancing your smile’s shine, and we want to help you feel happy and confident in your own grin. Just as your cosmetic appearance is important, however, you do not want to let your oral health overall take a seat on the sidelines. After all, your health trumps everything else, and cosmetic treatment is ineffective without a healthy foundation of smile care to support it. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist looks at the effects of nontraditional dental concerns such as teeth grinding, and talks about solutions that can help.

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Taking care of your smile is a lifelong process, and an effective preventive dental routine is necessary for adequate oral health. Indeed, threats such as tooth decay, gum infection, and more are common concerns your smile is constantly fending off, but bear in mind they are not the only ones. As a matter of fact, there are a number of nontraditional issues you should be aware of, including the effects of chronic bruxism and TMJ disorder. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist explains how TMJ Disorder develops, and what steps you can take to thoroughly care for your smile.

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Living with daily jaw pain can be difficult, but many people keep enduring problems with joint stiffness, limited movement with biting and chewing, and other problems linked to TMJ disorder. At our North Hollywood, CA dentist’s office, we can help you identify the cause of your frequent discomfort, which can lead to better jaw movement and freedom from pain. We can work with you to find the right solution to your difficulties. Mouth guards, physical therapy, and other services can help you live without the frequent discomfort that TMJ disorder can cause. We can also provide restorative services to take care of teeth that are in poor health and not contributing properly to your bite. (more…)

It goes without saying that there are countless factors out there that negatively impact the quality of our smiles. What’s more, these concerns can lead to bigger problems that not only impact appearance but function and overall quality of health as well. Even still, conditions exist that you might not even think influence your oral health, but actually have a bigger impact than you initially thought. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist would like to explore this concept by taking a look at what it means to have a sore jaw, and how you might be at risk for a dangerous dysfunction.

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For a number of individuals, decay or similar concerns are often the biggest threat to one’s oral health. For a number of others, however, the biggest threat comes from incessant teeth grinding in a process known as bruxism. While problems that arise from oral bacteria are oftentimes more prevalent, bruxism can become just the beginning of an even bigger concern. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist will look at the negative effects of bruxism and how it can lead to bigger concerns such as TMJ disorder.

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Treating most common dental health concerns is a personal process in that the treatment itself must be tailored to every patient’s specific needs. For example, tooth decay treatment can vary depending on the size of the cavity and severity of the tooth decay. Yet, the problem is the same, and the process for addressing is similar – to remove the decay and restore your healthy tooth structure. However, treating TMJ disorder is rarely the same process for each patient. Unlike more common conditions, the bite dysfunction can result from numerous different factors, and impact your jaw joints in highly varying ways. (more…)

Jaw pain can be confusing for many people who develop it, especially if they don’t know why it’s occurring or why it won’t go away. For many people, jaw pain is an indication of a jaw dysfunction known as TMJ disorder, which directly affects the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) that are on either side of your jaw. When you develop TMJ disorder, these joints are unable to function properly, and chronic jaw pain can be one of several potential warning signs of it.

What it means to have TMJ disorder

Having TMJ disorder isn’t always the same problem for everyone who develops it. Unlike more common dental concerns, like tooth decay and gingivitis, TMJ disorder can mean different specific conditions, each of which involves some form of harm to one or both of your jaw’s joints. The problem is that, because the disorder can have different details for each patient, it can also have varying symptoms, making it more difficult to tell if you have TMJ disorder on your own. Before you mention it to your dentist, you may begin to experience a number of different symptoms because of it, including chronic jaw pain and, in many cases, difficulty with your bite’s overall function.

How the disorder could have developed

Because TMJ disorder can mean something different for everyone, it can also be challenging to pinpoint what your specific risk factors for its development may be. For instance, you might be unknowingly placing excessive amounts of pressure on your TMJ’s if you suffer from a chronic teeth-grinding habit, or bruxism. Or, you may be at risk for TMJ disorder because of a misalignment in your upper and/or lower teeth, which make it more difficult for your jaw to work properly.

Other signs that could indicate TMJ disorder

The development of chronic pain in your jaw is just one potential symptom that could warn you of TMJ disorder. Depending on the specifics of your disorder and the damage to your jaw joints, you might also experience one or more chronic aches and pains that can sometimes be associated with TMJ disorder. These can include frequent and increasingly worse headaches, migraines, pain and ringing in your ears, and more. If you notice these or other aches and pains in addition to your jaw discomfort, then they may be strong indications that you might have a form of TMJ disorder.

Learn if TMJ treatment can alleviate your jaw pain

If you experience chronic jaw pain along with one or more of these symptoms, then it may be a sign that you’re suffering from TMJ disorder. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder isn’t the same as most other oral health concerns. For example, unlike the decaying of a tooth or the development of gingivitis, having TMJ disorder can mean something different for everyone. Because of this, the specific cause of the disorder also varies, which can make it difficult to predict if you’re going to develop it in the future. Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce your risks of developing TMJ disorder, such as understanding the conditions that can commonly contribute to it, and addressing those concerns before they have a chance to.

What TMJ disorder often means

A TMJ disorder means that a specific problem has developed with one or both of your jaw’s joints (TMJs). This might be some form of damage to the joint’s structure or tissues, strain or damage to the ligaments, a misalignment in one or both joints, or more. The shared characteristic of all TMJ disorders is that they inhibit your jaw joints’ ability to function smoothly and properly. This can place an excessive amount of strain on one or both of the joints, leading a wide range of potential aches, pains, and bite dysfunctions.

What it could be the result of

The damage that your jaw’s joints sustain can differ depending on several different factors. In some cases, it results from an imbalance in your bite’s overall function, such as a misalignment in your teeth or in your jawbone’s shape and symmetry. This strain can wear down or damage your TMJs to the point that your bite experiences further difficulty functioning properly. Your jaw joints may pop and click as they try to adjust to a malfunctioning bite, and your TMJs can become more damaged, exacerbating your TMJ disorder and its symptoms.

How to reduce your risks of it

While TMJ disorder isn’t always predictable, you may be able to determine your risk for it if you exhibit one or more of the conditions that can lead to it. For instance, if your teeth are crooked, then straightening them could be an important measure in reducing your risks of developing a jaw dysfunction. If you have a chronic habit of grinding your teeth together, it may be an indication of bruxism (chronic teeth-grinding), and the pressure could eventually damage one or both of your TMJs. By addressing such concerns as early as possible, you can reduce the chances of them impacting the health and function of your TMJs.

Learn how to avoid TMJ disorder

There is no single solution for preventing TMJ disorder, by caring for your oral health consistently and addressing existing concerns promptly, you can greatly reduce your risks of developing it. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.