TMJ Specialist in Atlanta
What is a Temporomandibular Disorder?
A Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) or TMJ Pain is a condition that affects a significant portion of the population. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that removable and conservative (non-surgical) treatments have been able to alleviate symptoms and TMJ pain to the vast majority of these patients.
Other factors that have an influence on the success of the TMJ treatment are the way in which the patient handles stress, the type of the patient’s personality, the susceptibility of the patient to make changes in behavior and habits, and finally, seriousness of the patient to treatment.
TMJ Symptoms
Many suffer or have suffered from oral facial pain and have not found relieve from medicine or traditional dentistry. We are talking about the Temporomandibular disorder, commonly known by TMJ Pain.
This disorder usually manifests itself by:
- Earaches
- Headaches
- Migraines
- The pain of maxillary molars
- Pain behind or around the eyes
- Pain in the area of the maxillary and frontal sinuses
- Jaw or jaw pain, pain in neck, shoulders, or back
- Noises at jaw opening
- Difficulty or limitation to open or close the mouth and change in the bite, among others.
People who usually suffer from these ailments (women aged 30 to 65 or high-stress men) will seek help from otolaryngologists, neurologists, dentists, psychiatrists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists among other health specialists. In many cases, these specialists do not find the cause or origin of the problem and only treat the symptoms.
In other cases are diagnosed neuralgia of the trigeminal, migraines, mental disorders, emotional instability, tension, and bad bite, among others. Dr. Miller as a prosthodontist has experience with complex dental problems, and he is a TMJ specialist in the diagnosis and treats difficult temporomandibular disorders.
Treatments applied, without success or partial relief, maybe: “root canals”, removal of teeth without apparent damage of caries or gum disease, treatment for migraine and neuralgia, acupuncture, adjustments by chiropractors, dental occlusal adjustments, and/or medications.
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TMJ Treatment
TMD – TMJ Pain Treatment
TMJ treatment is complex where the involvement of more than one dental specialist as well as other healthcare providers may be necessary.
The dental specialist best prepared to serve a patient with TMJ Pain by conservative non-surgical methods is a prosthodontist. It is advantageous for the patient to be treated by a prosthodontist who has advanced studies or has special interests in this condition and who devotes much of his practice to this treatment. This TMJ specialist, in turn, will introduce the patient to other specialists as needed depending on the condition of the patient.
Stages of TMJ Pain Treatment
These procedures maybe, but not limited to adjustments of bite, repair or replacement of existing restorations, bridges or crowns, orthodontics, jaw or joint surgeries, the permanent use of intra occlusal prostheses, or any combinations of the treatments above described.
STAGE 1
Jaw manipulations through prosthetic Intra occlusal devices in order to place the joint in a stable neuromuscular position.
STAGE 2
Restorative phase, which consists of the dental procedures necessary to maintain a permanent neutral neuromuscular temporomandibular position achieved in the first stage of treatment.
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