TMJ/TMD treatment may involve behavioral therapy?
Once you arrive at our office, Dr. Bobbio will look through your medical records, specifically for any dental or jaw-related issues. She’ll also check for any accidents resulting in injuries to the jaw or head. After checking your records, Dr. Bobbio will ask you to describe your symptoms and check if they include headaches, jaw pain, and other TMD symptoms.
Dr. Bobbio will check for any jaw abnormalities, specifically tenderness, swelling, and limited mobility. Sometimes she might use diagnostic imaging technology to get a closer look at your jaws. These technologies include x-rays and CBCT scans that give a detailed view of your jawbone and surrounding structures.
After the physical exams, Dr. Bobbio will have a candid conversation with you about your habits. Habits like teeth grinding and clenching may contribute to TMJ/TMD. She’ll also identify potential stress triggers leading to bruxism and clenching. She’ll then use information from the discussion and examination to create a treatment plan to address your TMJ/TMD.
With the treatment plan in place, Dr. Bobbio will administer treatment as indicated. Treatment may include physical therapy, dental devices and lifestyle changes. She might also prescribe medication to accelerate treatment. She’ll also schedule follow-up appointments to check how the treatment progresses.
At Bobbio Family Dental, we offer mouth guards, a type of mouth device, as an effective and affordable treatment for TMJ disorders. Nightguards help maintain the correct jaw position while patients are asleep, thus mitigating TMD symptoms. They also act as a protective barrier on the tooth to prevent their wearing down from clenching and bruxism while you sleep.
Successful TMJ/TMD treatment often requires a collaborative effort among various healthcare professionals.
The most common symptom of TMD is pain in the jaw area that sometimes radiates to the neck and ear. Other symptoms include tenderness in the jaw, sometimes accompanied with slight swelling. Patients with TMJ disorder also have difficulty chewing because of pain in the jaw. They might also experience headaches, especially after long periods of chewing.
Yes, insurance covers TMD treatment, although policies vary from state to state and provider to provider. That said, it’s worth noting that some insurers won’t cover TMJ treatments that include surgeries and other expensive procedures. In such cases, they might be willing to provide only partial coverage while you pay the rest out of pocket.
Some patients with TMJ/TMD find relief through music therapy?
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