TMJ Treatment in Chester Makes a Pain-Free Jaw Possible

So a lot of people come to the office with various levels of jaw pain. It can be pain from the muscles that control the jaw, or it can be pain in the jaw joint itself. So there are a lot of different reasons why the jaw can hurt you. Now one of the things I will say about jaw pain is the people that I have observed over the years who have severe jaw problems are in the most sever kind of pain that I've ever seen. These people almost walk around crying all of the time.

It's very difficult to treat the jaw. In the past it was thought that jaw surgery was helpful. Over time we've learned that is not the way to go. The end result of a person who's had surgery vs. a person that hasn't had surgery is really no different. So of the ways that we treat TMJ, one of the most important ways is muscle therapy and this is achieved by something called a night guard or an occlusal guard. What this device does it is retrains the muscle groups that control the opening and closing of the jaws.

By giving these muscle groups a rest for six to eight hours a day your muscle groups will relax, they will function differently than they do and very often that will greatly relieve the jaw pain. It also preserves the ware that has occurred on the teeth due to the grinding and the clenching that people who have problems with their jaw often do.

So if you're one of these people that feel like you have pain in your jaw, or that you clench, or that your grind, or your teeth are wearing down in a way in which you notice when you look in the mirror. Come and see us. We can help you with a occlusal guard and muscle therapy.

When patient comes in, I screen them out. Sometimes they don't even know. Most of people, they clench or they grind. Amazing that a lot of people don't know, and then I tell them, pointing out, and then start doing the exam. And they're like, “Oh, that hurt.” Or “Muscle tight”. Or “My neck's hurting.” Or “The soreness and tenderness.”

So I go through the exam and then I point it out and then they ask for the posture, what they're doing, their job, sitting in the computer, the iPhones, you know, Smartphone these days. And you will see their balance. They're leaning one side versus the other side, and you can feel the muscle tightening, unbalanced.

By giving them a little palpation and checking them out, I can see what muscles, whether they're clenching or whether they're grinding or all night long (bruxing). An appliance that I provided is a little bit different than regular dentists, that they take impression and then send it out and having and let you go, because I learn about sleep apnea and airway. My functional therapy, so it is so important to have that certain design not to impinge airway, because if you don't get it, the appliance you're providing is fail without knowing, and then some of the people tells me they grind down through completely, penetrate their guard, which is not an ideal appliance for them.

So those things, I know exactly where to go and I can help them out and after I provide a services, they come back. They're like, “I cannot sleep without this one. I think you're right. I'm clenching or I'm grinding.” And they are like, “Please help me. I have my sister doing. I have somebody else, my daughter.” They start delivering their messages and then they come in more way and they know how they feel when they wear them, not wear them. So I think that can be really helpful for the patients. Nobody want to break their teeth and busted their teeth. We really want their teeth outage their life, you know.

So that's my goal and that's why I start, beginning myself, and then I learn as much as I could. I went through so many courses. That's why I wanted to help them out.