If you’re one of the millions of Americans suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (also known as TMJ or TMD), you may wonder if the pain will ever end. You may have even been to one or more doctors to discover what’s causing your headaches, jaw pain, and other symptoms. You may be at your wit’s end because your quality of life has declined so much you don’t know where to turn next.
If you can relate to any of that, you may have TMJ, but there is TMJ treatment available in Anchorage, Alaska. Thousands of Anchorage TMJ sufferers have found relief from the painful symptoms of this complex joint disorder at their neuromuscular dentist’s office.
The symptoms of TMJ are vast and often seem unrelated to many medical professionals:
- TMJ Head Symptoms (headaches, facial pain, numbness)
- TMJ Ear Symptoms (ringing in the ears (tinnitus), stuffiness in the ear, earache)
- TMJ Neck Symptoms (stiff neck, sore neck, tightness in the neck, neck pain)
- TMJ Body Symptoms (back pain, pain in the arms and hands)
The keen eyes (and ears) of an Anchorage, Alaska, neuromuscular dentist with specialized training in diagnosing and treating TMJ will be able to assess where your dysfunction is in the Temporomandibular Joint and will be able to treat it accordingly.
Using advanced dental technology that tracks the sounds and movements of the Temporomandibular Joint and surrounding structures, your Anchorage TMJ dentist can pinpoint the problems and suggest a treatment plan, especially for you.
TMJ Treatment Options that Really Work
Most people who visit our Anchorage, Alaska dentist discover almost immediate relief from their painful TMJ symptoms with fairly conservative TMJ treatment. Surgery is rarely an option, which is excellent news for TMJ patients.
With neuromuscular treatment for TMJ, your TMJ dentist will realign your bite to reverse the symptoms of this painful condition. They will focus on your smile’s hard and soft tissues to ensure a comfortable new bite. Your jaw position will be corrected with realignment, and the symptoms of TMJ will begin to disappear.
Neuromuscular orthodontics has proven hugely successful in treating the painful symptoms of TMJ. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is often associated with TMJ, so if it’s determined that you also have sleep apnea, treatment for that will also be discussed.
Using gentle, non-invasive therapy to guide your jaw back into place, TMJ treatment in Anchorage, Alaska, will release the stress on the joints and muscles of and around the Temporomandibular Joint area.
So many people in the Anchorage area have benefitted from an effective conservative TMJ treatment known as TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) technology. TENS relaxes and vibrates your jaw, relieving stress and tension. TENS also reduces pain in and around the Temporomandibular Joint area.
If you suffer from TMJ, you may benefit from an oral appliance that will be worn while you sleep. TMJ is caused by and exacerbated by bruxism, which is the grinding and clenching of your jaw and teeth at night. Many people are not even aware that they grind their teeth at night. An oral appliance custom-made, especially for you, will keep your jaw in its optimal position while you sleep. This, in turn, will alleviate the painful symptoms you feel after a night of grinding and clenching your teeth and jaw.
Who’s a Good Candidate for TMJ Treatment?
If you experience any combination of these symptoms, you may have TMJ:
- Jaw pain
- Jaw tightness
- Headache
- Ear congestion
- Ringing in the ears
- Neck pain
- Tingling in the arms or hands
- Back pain
- Clicking/popping noises when you eat or talk
Learn More About TMJ Treatment
Please make time to get a TMJ assessment. Dr. Crosby and his team have many years of experience in neuromuscular dentistry and diagnosing and treating Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. Please call (907) 277-1098 to ask questions regarding TMJ treatment or to schedule a new patient evaluation.
TMJ technology will be able to pinpoint where your jaw problems lie, and the insight gained from those diagnostic tools will allow Dr. Crosby and the team to custom-design a TMJ treatment plan for you. You may also fill out our online contact form to request an appointment or ask a question. One of our amazing dental team members will reach out soon to help.
