The Temporomandibular joint connects your bottom jaw with your skull  (you can feel this hinge just below the ears). Sometimes it can get out of whack and cause many problems. About 15% of Americans, especially women in their 20s to 40s, suffer from what is known as TMJ Disorder or just TMJ. This can be caused by stress, such as childcare or work responsibilities, use of oral contraceptives, missing teeth or an uneven bite, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, sports injury, excessive gum chewing, and arthritis or fibromyalgia, among other factors.

Signs may include:

• When you open and close your mouth, you hear a popping or clicking sound
• Your jaw seems to “lock up” at times
• You have severe headaches for no apparent reason
• You are often dizzy
• You occasionally experience ringing in the ears
• You are told that you grind your teeth at night
• You feel a swelling on the side of the face
• You may feel discomfort in your neck or shoulders
• You might have tooth pain that is hard to locate

The good news is that if you are experiencing these symptoms, the experts at Wilshire Smile Studio can properly diagnose whether you have TMJ and recommend therapies. These can range from using a customized mouth guard to be worn when you sleep to the restoration of missing teeth.

Call us now for an examination to determine what your best options are to relieve TMJ pain: (323)-DENTIST (336-8478).