TMJ & Sleep Therapy for lasting comfort and healthy oral function

Are you suffering from headaches, neck pain, muscle tension, or fatigue? These signs could all be an indication of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ. The condition doesn’t always produce clear symptoms, meaning many patients suffer in pain for years without an accurate diagnosis or treatment. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer in miserable silence. Our team at TMJ & Sleep Therapy of Utah, is highly experienced in diagnosing and treating TMJ.

The temporomandibular joints are among the most complex joints in the human body. Located on both sides of the jaw, the TMJ allows your jaw to open, close, and move from side to side and from front to back. Other joints typically only enable one direction of motion.

Due to the complexity of the TMJ joint and the amount of stress we put on it daily with normal functions such as biting, chewing, and talking, it is easily prone to dysfunction or inflammation.

Many TMJ disorder symptoms are easily attributed to the jaw, while others are not as easy to identify. Among the most common are:

• Popping or clicking of the jaw
• Pain on either side of the jaw along the joint
• Craniofacial pain
• Difficulty chewing
• Ringing in ears
• Chronic headaches
• Neck or shoulder pain
• Inability to open or close the jaw completely

When you come in for a TMJ evaluation, we’ll use specialized imaging software to look at the health of the temporomandibular joint to determine the best course of treatment.

TMJ Treatment

When it comes to TMJ disorders, there are no one-size-fits-all treatment options. It’s often a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle changes that relieve the chronic pain. Our team will work closely with you to determine the cause of your symptoms and recommend one or more of the following non-surgical dental treatments:

• A custom-fit orthotic appliance. This discreet oral appliance works by re-aligning the jaw so that the head, neck, muscles, and joints are more adequately balanced.
• Bite realignment. In some cases, reshaping the teeth or orthodontic treatment can improve the bite to relieve stress on the jaw.
• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. Neck and shoulder pain can be caused by bad posture due to an inability to breathe correctly. Myofunctional Therapy helps reteach the oral, facial and throat muscles to properly support the respiratory canals.
• Cold Laser Therapy. Cold Laser Therapy is usually used in conjunction with TMJ and Myofunctional Therapy. In rare cases, a patient is experiencing headaches, migraine or shoulder pain because of knotted muscles/a pinched nerve. Cold Laser Therapy penetrates deep into the tense muscles and rejuvenates damaged nerves. Most patients experience immense relief after one or two sessions.
• Restorations. Sometimes, dental restorations such as crowns, veneers, or even dental implants can help rebalance the jaw.

Schedule Your TMJ Evaluation in Payson, Utah Today

We are committed to helping our patients achieve oral health, which includes specialized services such as TMJ diagnosis and treatment. Our combined treatment approach enables you to address the cause and the symptoms of your TMJ pain. If you are in Payson, Utah, call us at (801) 877-1126.

Share this Article