Jaw Joint Treatment in Worcester Park Dental Clinic

If you are suffering from pain in the lower part of your face, in your neck or in your jaw or from frequent jaw clicking or jaw locking, you could be suffering from jaw joint problems. Your Worcester Park dentist can help you determine the real problem and help you eliminate your pain.

Your jaw joints, also called temporomandibular joints and frequently shortened to TMJs, are located on the left and right side of your face, near your ears. These two joints, together with your jaw muscles, enable you to open and close your mouth, speak, chew your food and make any movement with your mouth.

Your dentist can identify the cause of the pain by examining your teeth, face, jaw and mouth with x-rays. Among the common causes are:

• Abnormal bite
• Toothache
• Periodontal disease
• Sinus
• Facial muscle disorder
• Jaw joint problem
• Arthritis
• Injuries to the head, jaw or neck
• Teeth grinding at night
• Stress and fatigue

Depending on the cause of the pain, treatments could be one or combinations of the following:

• Dental remedies
• Exercises and activities that reduce stress
• Medication with muscle relaxants
• Use of a mouth guard to block teeth grinding
• Physiotherapy
• Use of heat pads
• Relaxation therapy

For people who have frequent headaches and who have not been helped by all sorts of pain treatments, it is helpful to consult a dentist. Their headache may just be because of treatable problems in the jaw joint.

If your pain is related to more serious problems, your  dentist will refer you to specialists, but if it is related to your bite and jaw joints, your dentist can work out a treatment plan that will help you have a better quality of life.