TMJ Therapy in Haslet, TX

Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the place where your jaw attaches to your skull to enable you to close and open your jaw smoothly. Sometimes the TMJ is damaged or injured, resulting in a debilitating condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder or dysfunction (TMD). If you're having pain or hearing sounds whenever you open your jaw, schedule an appointment with Dr. Luke Riley to see if you have TMD. At his dental practice, Riley Dental, in Haslet, TX, Dr. Riley utilizes innovative tools to examine and care for your TMD to ease pain. Your TMJ therapy will be dependent on the cause of your TMD and your particular condition. Dr. Riley focuses his TMD treatments on malocclusion-centered (bite misalignment) therapies; however, a few other options are oral appliances (night or mouth guards), dental restorations, and much more.

Temporomandibular joint disorder might be brought on by an injury to the jaw, years of grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw (bruxism), or a misaligned bite (dental malocclusion). Other conditions that might lead to TMD include a tumor in the TMJ or arthritis. Sometimes the reason for TMD is uncertain, but if you're having signs and symptoms, Dr. Riley can diagnose and care for your TMJ. The most typical signs of TMD are tenderness or pain at the jaw, especially in the morning or evening, involuntary contractions in your face muscles, feeling as if your jaw is rigid or stuck, frequent headaches that begin near your ears (tension headaches), and premature fracture and erosion of your surface enamel. Another sign is hearing cracking, clicking, or popping when you open your jaw.

To diagnose a temporomandibular disorder, Dr. Riley will listen carefully to understand your concerns prior to a physical exam. Throughout the examination, he will evaluate how your jaw moves and start looking for indications of misalignment, jaw clenching, and teeth grinding. He will also palpate the jawbone and lower face for any swelling and tenderness. Dr. Riley might order digital images of your lower head along with an analysis of your bite to search for underlying factors that could determine your therapy approach. Depending on the examination, he will discuss your treatment choices. 

One option may be orthodontic movement of your teeth into a position that allows your TMJ to seat properly. Due to the advanced accuracy and palliative effect of Invisalign aligners, Dr. Riley exclusively uses them for this treatment. 

Dr. Riley may determine that occlusal equilibration is the best treatment for your symptoms. After creating models of your upper and lower teeth and bite, he will mount them in an artificial jaw in order to determine the exact areas where malocclusion is forcing your TMJ out of position. In a series of appointments, Dr. Riley will use this information to gently polish and reshape your enamel to stabilize your bite. He will also evaluate the progress of your treatment and how much the inflammation in your muscles and TMJ have decreased. 

Dr. Riley may also prescribe a nighttime protective appliance to help seat your TMJ in a more comfortable position at night.

If Dr. Riley determines that your TMJ has been permanently damaged, he may refer you to a physical therapist specializing in TMJ disorders or to a TMJ specialist for evaluation for possible surgical intervention.

Along with treatments to fix the root cause of your temporomandibular joint disorder, Dr. Riley may suggest different means to ease pain and other problems on your own. This may include a liquid or soft food diet, not biting your nails or chewing gum, applying heat to your jaw, and relaxation methods. Dr. Riley may also show you exercises to strengthen your jaws or prescribe medication to relax your muscles (and to ease pain, nervousness, or even inflammation).

You should continue to go to follow-up appointments so Dr. Riley can assess the results from your TMJ treatment. If your therapy isn't working, he might think about another strategy. After your TMD has been treated, you should keep going to yearly dental examinations at Riley Dental to maintain your oral health.

Dental insurance policies for diagnosing TMJ pain and TMD remedies will vary, so we'll get in touch with your provider to figure out your personal expenses. Whether you do or do not have dental insurance, Dr. Riley will discuss price quotes with you when explaining your treatment choices. To make all the remedies more easily affordable, Riley Dental takes many payment options and can help you find medical financing via CareCredit.

What sort of treatment is best for treating TMJ?
Each case of TMJ has different severities, causes, and concerns. At Riley Dental, we will gather a thorough history and examination record from you before recommending any path of treatment. Your individualized treatment plan can be discussed and adjusted at any time with our experienced practitioners.

Will my TMJ go away on its own?
In some cases, TMJ can be reversible. Many cases of TMJ require only minimally-invasive forms of therapy, and with the strengthening of the surrounding muscles, can be resolved. However, some cases require more aggressive forms of treatment.

Is this a medical or a dental issue?
TMJ can qualify as both medical and dental concerns. You might experience some medical causes and effects, like arthirits or migraines, that are correlated to your TMJ. However, because it has to do with the jaw and teeth, dentists and oral surgeons most frequently provide treatment for TMJ.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain can make it tough to eat, talk, and enjoy your day-to-day life. Since there are lots of potential causes, signs, and remedies to treat temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), make an appointment with Dr. Luke Riley at his practice in Haslet, TX. He will perform a detailed exam prior to your diagnosis and talk to you about treatment choices. Get in touch with our staff at Riley Dental to learn more and plan an appointment.