TMD Treatment Specialists in Melbourne
TMD Treatment – Being in pain all the time can really wear a person down physically, mentally and emotionally. The worst part is, when people live their lives coping with chronic pain, they can start to feel like it’s never going to go away. If you live with TMD, it can be difficult to get this across to others because they can’t see the symptoms. But the good news is, you don’t have to suffer alone.
At Holistic Dental Melbourne CBD, our dental team has a lot of experience in treating TMD patients. We can give you personalised treatments to help you on your journey to better TMD Management, so you can move past your pain. Don’t accept aching jaw pain as a part of your daily life—we’re here to help you take control! We offer a variety of treatments for every stage of TMD Treatment.
What is TMD?
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the lower jawbone to the base of the skull. This complex joint is used in everyday bodily processes including talking, chewing and breathing. Pain in the jaw joint and muscles controlling the jaw movement is popularly referred as TMD(temporomandibular disorders), which also send pain to nearby areas such as the head, neck and inner ear. About 15% of adults suffer from chronic facial pain, and a high percentage of those cases are related to TMD in some way. TMD rates are highest in women age 20-40. TMD can have a variety of causes, including neck or jaw injury, and arthritis. Some people who have jaw pain also tend to clench or grind their teeth . TMD can be made worse by daily stress. It could even be caused by poor dentistry in your past, such as high crowns or fillings, that changed the alignment of your bite. For most of the patients, the cause is multifactorial and hence, a multidisciplinary holistic approach would help them manage their symptoms. The good news is that, in most cases, non-invasive procedures can provide relief.
The Symptoms
TMD pain can show up in a variety of ways, including:
- Jaw pain
- Ear pain
- Neck pain
- Lockjaw
- Popping, Grating or
Clicking jaw
- Misalignment of teeth in upper and lower jaw
- unpredictable, often severe migraine like headaches
- pain behind eyes
- on rare occasions dizziness, ringing in the ears observed
If these symptoms sound all too familiar to you and are disrupting your daily life, it might be time to s a TMD management program with our experienced dentists.
Management of TMD
TMD is a multifactorial complex dentofacial issue where its often challenging to isolate one factor. Often there are multiple trigger factors exacerbating the issue. To identify these, our comprehensive examination involves going through your medical and trauma history, assessment of bite, examination of all muscles of jaw movement, head and neck, posture, airways and sleep hygiene analysis with a detailed questionnaire of daily routine to rule out probabilities of sleep apnoea treatment. A series of dental records involving photography, dental models and if necessary TMJ scans are acquired. At Holistic Dental Melbourne CBD, patients with acute pain are offered pain medications, Trigger-point an aesthetic injections specialized splints for immediate pain relief. Any cause of dental origin is ruled out.Long-term TMD management may involve using a mouth orthotic. This is different to a conventional mouth splint or nightguard. Mouth orthotics are designed to allow the muscles to relax, decompress load off the TMJs, maintain ideal TMJ function, and thus reduce pain, clicking and locking. Treatment may involve working with a multi-disciplinary team. This may include referrals to health practitioners such as physiotherapists, sleep physicians and/or ear-nose-throat specialists. In our experience, Stress is one of the major triggers for TMJ pain. We encourage our patients to learn relaxation techniques with either Yoga/Tai chi, to help control muscle tension in the jaw.
In severe cases of TMD or if structural alteration in TMJ is suspected, A referral to specialist surgeons is given.
What Other Things Can I Do to Manage My TMJ Pain?
- Use moist heat or cold packs to relieve symptoms
- Eat soft foods
- Avoid extreme jaw movements
- Practice good posture to reduce neck and facial pain
- Chewing on cotton roll has a soothing effect.
- Practice relaxation techniques
Free Yourself from Chronic TMD Pain-Affordable TMD Treatment Are Within Reach
Somewhere inside that hurting body, there is hope for something better. If you’re suffering from chronic facial pain, get in touch with our practice today to start your personalized TMD management plan. Our experienced dentists and sympathetic team will support you through this process. To find out more or to book in a consultation call at (03)96622288 or contact us using the book now.
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Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
