TMJ Treatment Chester, VA

You Can Have a Pain-Free Jaw with TMJ Treatment in Chester, VA

Do you have nagging jaw pain? Popping when you chew? Maybe even a locked jaw at times? These are all symptoms of TMJ disorder that Dr. Felton at Felton Dentistry can treat with a simple oral appliance. TMJ treatment from our Chester dental team can help:

Relax your jaw and ease tension in your neck and shoulders
Stop teeth grinding and potential tooth enamel damage
Reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches

Allow you to eat more comfortably and enjoy mealtimes again
Make talking, yawning, and even singing more comfortable

What is TMJ?

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, and is the joint that connects your lower jaw (mandible) to your skull. This joint is on both sides of your head in front of your ears. This joint is what allows your jaw to open and close so that you can speak and eat.

A TMJ disorder will cause pain in the joint and/or face and make it difficult to move. Even though you may be suffering from TMJ pain, you may not know exactly what it is. Simple acts like talking and eating can cause TMJ sufferers to feel shooting pain in the area of their jaw, face, and ears.

Women are most commonly affected by it and many factors that can cause it, such as arthritis, habitual grinding or clenching of the teeth, joint erosion or structural problems present at birth. Other factors may play a role in this as well, even though they may not be the direct cause of TMJ disorder. Those are orthodontic braces, poor posture, stress, lack of sleep, and a poor diet.

How to Know if You Have TMJ?

The most common symptom of TMJ is pain in the jaw and surrounding muscles, which can include headaches. It’s also possible for pain to occur in the face and neck. If you feel stiffness in your jaw and have limited movement, that may be a sign of TMJ disorder as well. Locking of the jaw or clicking and popping in the joint area, or a shift in how your teeth are aligned are other indicators. If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, contact your dentist at Felton Dentistry, so that we can make an assessment and prescribe treatment if you are diagnosed with TMJ disorder.

Diagnosing TMJ Disorder

There are no standard tests to diagnose TMJ disorder. However, when you see one of the dentists in our office, we’ll start by examining your jaw for any tenderness or swelling. We’ll discuss any symptoms you may be experiencing. We may also take an x-ray of the jaw or CT scan to see jawbones and joint tissues. It’s possible an MRI may be required to see if there are any issues with the jaw structure.

Treatment for TMJ Disorder

If you are not experiencing severe symptoms, it’s possible to treat TMJ disorders at home. You can ease the pain by eating soft foods, using ice to reduce swelling, avoid chewing gum and other tough foods, minimize stress and use jaw exercise to help stretch it and improve movement.

If these home remedies do not solve the problem, your dentist may recommend pain medication, medicine to relax the jaw or reduce swelling and bite guards to prevent teeth grinding.

In rare instances, we may suggest corrective dental treatment or surgery to replace the joint.

Finally, Find Relief with a Custom Oral Device

With the aid of custom night guards, we’ve allowed many patients to enjoy freedom from TMJ discomfort after they had given up hope. Your new oral appliance will fit comfortably in your mouth while you sleep. It will move your lower jaw forward just a bit to ease the tension on your TMJ. Although the action is slight, it’s enough to help your jaw relax.

Your jaw will feel better, and you won’t wince in pain every time you laugh, talk, or chew. The night guard will also help eliminate teeth grinding while you sleep (which many people do without even knowing it). Less teeth grinding means less damage to your tooth enamel and can even mean fewer and less intense headaches.

Preventive Measures for TMJ in Chester, VA

It may not be possible for you to prevent TMJ completely but taking certain actions could help not only lessen the symptoms, while also improve your life overall. These steps include reducing stress and anxiety, as well as eating healthy, exercising, and seeking counseling.

Get the relief you deserve. Talk to your dentist about the potential risks of any procedures.

You can reach our team at 804-717-2099 to schedule your appointment for TMJ help or other dental care. Or request an appointment online if it’s more convenient. You’ll find our office at 10611 Greenyard Way, Ste. A – across the street from Trinity United Methodist Church in the 23831 ZIP code.

What Our Patients are Saying

Absolutely wonderful. So caring and understanding!

Jocelyn Keith

Awesome dentist!!

Kelley Rourke

The dentist, Dr. Ali, fixed a problem that I had on the first day we met. He first noticed another issue with a different tooth without me having to bring... Read More

Audrey
Great customer service.

James Brown

Very nice and really respectful all the way around. Got me setup on a treatment plan. Thank you so much

Corey Potter

Anyone else is amature hour

David Wagner
Best cleaning ever. I recommend Markia!!!!!

ALYCE BAILEY

Very professional , In and out , painless and out the door !

David Little

Top notch dentistry business. They are all very professional and friendly. They always take away any fears of going to the dentist. Keep up the great work. I appreciate everything... Read More you do for me.

Scott Leonard