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TMJ Treatment

Girl With Sore Mouth

One-Stop Destination for TMJ Treatment in Edmonton

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull. The complex joint enables you to move your jaws and carry out functions like chewing and talking. Sometimes, this sliding hinge joint experiences inflammation, or dislocation, resulting in pain every time you move your jaws. There exists a general lack of clarity regarding the causes of TMJ disorders but experts often consider bruxism, clenching, jaw injuries and arthritis to be the primary factors.

Heritage Dental Centre delivers TMJ treatment in Edmonton. If you are experiencing discomfort around your ears while chewing or talking, our dentists can help diagnose and treat the issue.

Dental Onlay vs. Inlay

Occasional pain in the jaws does not have to be a symptom of TMJ problems. However, if you experience some or all of the following things frequently, you might want to see our dentist:
  • Sudden locking of your jaws while chewing food, opening, or closing your mouth.
  • Pain in the jaw muscles that radiate towards your neck and shoulders every time you move your jaw.
  • Tenderness and inflammation in the joint, and pain across your face.
  • A clicking or popping sound when you try opening your mouth wide, or while eating.
  • Uncomfortable bite with teeth feeling out of place.
Distressed Person Holding Sore Lower Jaw

Our Approach to TMJ Treatment

Our dentists at Heritage Dental Centre approach every dental and oral condition with knowledge and care. We believe in efficient diagnosis before prescribing treatments.

In the case of TMJ-related disorders, we undertake thorough evaluations. Since the causes of TMJ disorders are not well understood, comprehensive physical examinations are essential for diagnosis. With physical examinations, dentists can determine whether the symptoms you experience are related to TMJ or not.

Medical imaging techniques like X-rays, MRI and CT scans are also used to get a proper view of the joint’s position and movement.

Once the diagnosis is completed, we select a suitable treatment option. While home remedies can be effective in some cases, others might require medication or surgery.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of TMJ Surgery

With our dentists, you can have access to surgical facilities for TMJ treatment in Edmonton. In the treatment process, surgeries are our last resort because surgical procedures are complicated and involve long recovery periods. We also understand that you might be apprehensive about the results of the corrective surgery. However, when no other mode of treatment offers satisfactory results, TMJ surgeries can be a blessing.

Benefits of TMJ Surgery:

  • Surgeries provide good results and offer high rates of success.
  • Depending upon the severity of TMJ cases, the surgery can be less or more invasive.
  • Pain and stiffness in the joint reduce.
  • Effective means of treating TMJ problems when other modes of treatment have not provided results.
You can count on Heritage Dental Centre and its facilities for reliable TMJ surgeries.

Commonly Asked Questions

When you see a dentist for TMJ disorders, you might have to answer questions about your symptoms, when they began, and their frequency. You might also be asked about stress, the medications you are taking, and your lifestyle.
TMJ cases can be treated through at-home remedies, prescribed medications, non-drug therapies, or surgeries. TMJ disorders are cured with the help of pain-relievers, anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants. Mouthguards, restorative dentistry, and physical treatments are also useful in some cases. Surgeries are considered to be the last resort.

Surgeries are conducted under local or general anesthesia to prevent pain. Once the surgery is over and the anesthesia wears off, you may experience slight pain. In the case of less invasive surgeries, you can go home on the same day and expect to recover within a couple of weeks.

 

In the case of joint replacement, you will be discharged after 4-5 days, and recovery may take between three to eight weeks. After surgery, you have to take liquid-based or soft food until healing is completed.

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