Temporomandibular Disorders, Orofacial Pain & Dental Sleep Medicine

Orofacial pain specialists provide the treatment services for patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders (TMD), a common subgroup of orofacial pain disorders, often incorrectly referred to as “TMJ.” TMJ is the abbreviation used for the temporomandibular joint or jaw joint. There are two basic types of TMD: MYOGENOUS TMD (muscle generated pain) and ARTHROGENOUS TMD (jaw joint generated pain). TMD symptoms include pain or discomfort in or around the ear, jaw joint, and/or muscles of the jaw, face, temples and neck on one or both sides. Clicking, popping, grating (crepitus), locking, limited opening or deviating jaw movement, chewing difficulties, and some headaches are also associated with TMD.

• Headaches: Provide treatment for primary headaches like migraines, tension type headache, cluster headache, or medication overuse headaches.
• Oral Appliance Therapy for Snoring & Sleep Apnea: Custom fabricated dental sleep appliances are made for snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea. These appliances require maintenance and follow up visits to make sure they continue to fit correctly and help you breathe better.
• Neuropathic Pain Disorders are often chronic and arise from the brain and nerves of face and neck like trigeminal neuralgia (TN), atypical odontologia (unspecified dental pain), and atypical face pain.
• Grinding: If you grind your teeth (commonly referred as bruxism), we can fabricate a custom mouth guard to protect your teeth. As you grind you put extreme pressure on your teeth, which can cause cracks or breaks in teeth or restorations, or worn down teeth. The custom guard corrects your bite and protects your teeth from possible damage.
• Clenching: Daytime clenching is often ignored, underdiagnosed or inappropriately treated. It is different from grinding at night and the treatment is different too. We offer a diagnosis as well as other treatments for clenching which could include appliance.