TMJ / Headache Treatment
Dr. Flowers conducts a thorough examination of your jaw to see if there is a TMJ disorder.
Headaches? Jaw pain? We can help
TMJ Disorder refers to problems that occur in the temporomandibular joint. This joint hinges your lower jaw to the temporal bone of your skull. When this joint isn’t working correctly it causes an unbalanced bite. This in turn causes the muscles in your jaws to work harder to compensate for the bad bite. The over-worked muscles can lead to TMJ disorder.
Dr. Charles Flowers has years of experience handling TMJ disorders and has successfully treated many cases.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder can include:
- Jaw pain
- Severe tension headaches
- Neck, back and shoulder pain
- Earaches
- Clicking or popping sound in the jaw
- Jaw may lock up on you sometimes
- Dizziness
- Ringing in the ears
- Clenching and grinding of the teeth
What causes TMJ?
Dr. Flowers takes digital panoramic X-rays to inspect your jaw joint.
The most common cause of TMJ is a bite problem, although a jaw injury or teeth grinding can also be causes. Dr. Flowers will perform a comprehensive oral exam and diagnostic testing to discover the cause of your pain. This includes panoramic digital X-rays that allow him to see high quality images of your jaw joint.
Dr. Flowers will review the information with you and based on his findings will recommend a treatment plan to help improve your bite and free you from pain and discomfort.
Treating TMJ
Dr. Flowers takes your concerns seriously and will use his TMJ training and expertise to remedy your jaw misalignment with advanced treatment designed to bring you relief from TMJ. It’s important to understand TMJ therapy isn’t a cure. It’s a management of your TMJ problem.
Successful treatment means that the damaged joint is put into the least traumatic position so any future pain or damage will be minimal. With mild cases of TMJ, this may be all that is necessary to relieve the condition.
Since TMJ is usually related to muscle tension, various jaw relaxation exercises can be done to relieve pain by relaxing and loosening the muscles. These exercises will also help increase the vascular flow in the mouth and relieve inflammation.
TMJ Mouth Guard
A mouth guard can help correct the bite so it is in the correct position.
Mouth guards are among the most popular nonsurgical means by which dentists treat pain in the jaw muscles and TMJ. A mouth guard creates a physiologically correct bite. You might be familiar with mouth guards. Other words for mouth guards include “splint,” “bite appliance,” “orthotic” and “occlusal appliance.”
Based on the information obtained from your exam and diagnostic testing, Dr. Flowers will construct your TMJ mouth guard. When it is placed over the teeth it provides a bite where the teeth, joint and muscles don’t antagonize each other. Instead, they work together just as nature intended.
Patients often report experiencing significant symptom improvement within a month while wearing a TMJ mouth guard.
To make an appointment, call 803.787.6646 or click here to request an appointment online.