If you’ve been living with persistent jaw pain, ear pain and headaches, you could have TMD – temporomandibular disorder. TMD can often be traced back to an improper bite, misaligned jaw joints, or an injury to the jaw or face. Treatment from a dentist can help relieve the discomfort from TMD. Although treatment varies from patient to patient, it typically involves one or several procedures, including the use of an orthotic splint, enamel reshaping, dental crowns, dental braces or night guards. The goal of TMD treatment is to stabilize your bite so that your teeth, jaw muscles and jaw joints work properly together without strain — and without pain!
The temporomandibular joint is the largest joint in your head and connects the jaw to the sides of your skull. A highly flexible joint, it allows your jaw to move up and down and allows side-to-side flex. It can create a lot of force and handles a huge amount of stress, but it can cause what you may know as TMD.