TMJ/TMD Treatment – Haverhill, MA

Diagnosis & Treatment

Diagnosing conditions like TMJ disorder, which involves regular stress on the TMJ as a result of an uneven bite, jaw injury, or other reasons, is not always easy. This is why, as part of your diagnosis, we need to go over all the symptoms you may be experiencing. These symptoms may include:

• Chronic jaw pain
• Clicking or popping of the jaw
• Chronic headaches or migraines, especially upon waking up
• Earaches
• Upper back, neck, facial, and shoulder pain
• Teeth grinding
• Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing

Once we’ve determined that TMJ disorder is the cause of your symptoms, we’ll go over treatment options that we believe will be most effective, such as:

Occlusal Adjustments

In some cases, patients may have a restoration from a previous dentist that has either become worn down or was never properly designed to keep the bite even in the first place. As a result, it puts disproportionate amounts of force on certain areas of the jaw. By making minor adjustments to these teeth, we can get your bite even again and reduce stress on the joints. If your symptoms continue, we’ll move on to other options.

Occlusal Splints

Occlusal splints are essentially complex mouthguards that work to reposition the jaw. These oral appliances are typically worn while asleep, when clenching, grinding, and abnormal jaw movement is very common and unconsciously occurring. Most patients who begin using an occlusal splint notice significant improvements in their symptoms. We’ll make sure that your occlusal splint feels comfortable and addresses your jaw pain.