Get the right treatment for your TMJ symptoms.

Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are the hinges on either side of your face that connect your lower jawbone to your skull. These joints do a lot of work every day, as they make it possible for you to speak and eat. 

Unfortunately, many patients can develop TMJ disorders (TMD). Those suffering from TMD might experience:

• Pain in the jaw
• Pain at the side of the face (where the joints are located)
• Aching pain in the ears
• Difficulty chewing
• Headaches

The headaches caused by TMJ disorder can be serious. This chronic pain can vary widely in severity, causing headaches that can seriously impair your quality of life. However, there is an FDA-approved treatment for TMJ that relies on oral appliances to provide effective relief.

How TMJ Disorder Causes Headaches

TMD can be caused by various factors, such as stress or misalignments in your teeth or jaw. Misalignments cause the muscles around the joints to become inflamed and tense. This tension ultimately leads to headaches and many of the other symptoms of TMD.

The throbbing, sharp pain of TMD headaches can affect a wide range of areas. You might feel the pain around your skull, face, or neck. TMD can also contribute to tension headaches and migraines.

Many patients are unfamiliar with their treatment options for TMJ disorder headaches and turn to over-the-counter pain relievers to manage them. However, there is a more effective treatment method for many cases of TMD.

You can relieve TMJ disorder with a bite guard.

Because TMD is often caused or worsened by teeth misalignment and grinding, many of the symptoms can be managed with a custom bite guard. A bite guard is an oral appliance that sits in your mouth to prevent grinding and to keep your jaw in a position that won’t cause muscle tension and pain. High-quality bite guards will be custom-molded to fit your teeth.

In general, bite guards are worn overnight, when most people grind their teeth or keep their jaw in a damaging position. They’re often referred to as nightguards for this reason. While some patients take a little while to adapt to wearing a nightguard, they are soon able to sleep comfortably without even noticing it.

Not only can a nightguards help relieve TMJ headaches, but they can also help many people sleep better. You might not be aware of it, but grinding your teeth can negatively affect the quality of your sleep. 

Nightguards are an FDA-approved treatment for TMJ pain. They are safe and effective, and they could be your best option for managing headaches from TMD.

Our Process for Developing the Best Bite Guards

If you’re suffering from pain that you believe could be caused by TMD, reach out to Tomasik Family Dental to find out more about your treatment options. We’ll examine your teeth, jaw, and bite to determine whether certain dental issues could be contributing to your TMJ pain. After a comprehensive exam, we’ll provide you with the most effective treatment plan.

If a bite guard appears to be a promising treatment option for your case, we’ll start the process of preparing a custom oral appliance. While off-the-shelf bite guards are available, our custom-made bite guards provide a better fit that allows you to sleep more comfortably and achieve more effective pain relief.

At Tomasik Family Dental, we use the latest technology to provide our patients with the best treatment options and patient experience. When making your custom bite guard, we use the latest iTero scanners to generate detailed 3D images of your mouth and teeth.

By using this advanced imaging technology, we help our patients avoid the unpleasant experience of traditional oral impressions. The traditional process of making custom bite guards involves pressing a gooey material against the teeth to gather a physical impression. Most patients weren’t very fond of that part of the process.

Modern methods are more comfortable, and we’re able to generate more accurate and detailed digital impressions with iTero scanning technology. The digital impression of your mouth and teeth is then used to create a bite guard that is a perfect fit, allowing your teeth to sit naturally and avoid grinding and muscle tension around your TMJ.

Get in touch with Tomasik Family Dental today!

If you’re in need of effective treatment from the best dentist in Bee Cave, Texas, you can reach out to Tomasik Family Dental today. We provide a full range of dental care, including preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry. 

Just contact us today to schedule your appointment and find an effective treatment option for your TMD headaches or other dental issues.