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What we know, is that our patients FEEL our passion. They feel that we are their biggest cheerleaders. They feel that we want the best for them. They do NOT feel judged. We want to give every patient the opportunity to say YES to the best dental care.
The Causes and Symptoms of TMJ-TMD
TMJ-TMD is a malfunction of the temporomandibular joint, which connects your skull to your jaw. Every time you open or close your mouth, you are using this joint. Since this is such a frequently used joint, severe TMJ-TMD can have an impact on your quality of living. A dysfunction in this joint can be caused by several issues:
- The development of arthritis.
- From a direct injury to the joint.
- An abnormal bite or improper teeth alignment.
- Excessive stress on the jaw muscles, which can be the result of bruxism.
- Your genetic makeup.
- A recent tumor.
These are some of the suspected causes, and it is often difficult to determine the exact cause of TMJ-TMD. If you develop a dysfunction in your temporomandibular joint, you may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Frequent headaches.
- A popping sound when you open or close your jaw.
- You start to clench your jaw.
- You experience a sore jaw or painful jaw.
- You now experience earaches or ringing in your ears.
- A pain while you are chewing.
- The locking of your jaw or difficulty opening and closing your jaw.
- A pain that radiates from the joint to your temples, face, neck, or shoulders.
The Causes and Symptoms of Bruxism
Bruxism is the grinding or the clenching of your teeth, most often at night, but you might clench and grind your teeth during the daytime hours as well. Daytime bruxism is called awake bruxism and nighttime bruxism is called sleep bruxism.
Just like TMJ-TMD, it is often difficult to determine the cause of bruxism. Some of the most common causes include:
- An increase in your stress and anxiety.
- The misalignment of your jaw.
- You have developed sleep apnea.
- You are reacting to certain medications.
- It is the result of excessive drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.
Regardless of the cause of your bruxism, you may experience one or more of these symptoms:
- You are experiencing consistent headaches.
- Your jaw is sore.
- There is increased tooth sensitivity and toothaches.
- We discover broken, chipped, or cracked teeth.
- Your teeth are becoming worn or flattened.
- You experience jaw or face pain.
- Regular earaches.
- You have a consistent disrupted sleep pattern.
karmazin is
RELATIONSHIP FOCUSED
It's a Team Thing. Here at Karmazin Dental, we invest heavily in recruitment of “A+” team members. Everyone on Team Karmazin has unparallel talent and an ongoing commitment to continuing education. No matter who you see at your appointment, you can be assured that you will be met with a wealth of experience and knowledge not to mention, unequaled customer service.
karmazin is
MEMBERSHIP DRIVEN
Not Insurance Driven. The restrictions and limitations that dental insurance puts on its members and Dentists is continuously changing and it is not always for the betterment of the patient. Our focus at Karmazin Dental is to provide patients with the best course of treatment for them, period. For patients without dental insurance, we offer and in house membership plan, which gives the power BACK to our patients. By removing the restrictions of what insurance says they will or will not cover, patients get to spend their money the way they want.
Our philosophy is
CUSTOMIZED ORAL CARE
Growth: Always in ALL – Ways
Gratitude: Our patients provide EVERYTHING
Relentless: Clinical Excellence & continuing OUR education
Never Settle: Provide excellence but have the humility to know we will never get there. There is always something more to do, learn and improve upon.
20/20: Complete transparency with our patients and our team.
Integrity to the Core: Do what we say and say what we think.
TMJ-TMD Treatments
After Karmazin Dental has evaluated you and identified the severity of your TMJ-TMD, we will recommend treatment that will work best for you. Some suggested treatments might include:
- Introducing the use of a night guard.
- Performing different relaxation techniques.
- Including jaw exercises and stretches to relieve discomfort.
- Scheduling physical therapy.
- Over-the-counter pain relief medications.
- Looking at hot or cold therapy.
- Making the effort to avoid extreme and repetitive jaw movements, like yawning or chewing gum.
- Possible surgery for extreme or stubborn cases.
For most cases, the TMJ-TMD problem can be treated with a custom designed, plastic guard that is worn over the teeth at night. The guard should be created for your situation. One size fits all guards, like those available in drugstores, will not solve the problem and can even make it worse.
If your jaw joint problems are infrequent, then self-care practices might be enough to correct your problem. This could include stress management like meditation or yoga, avoiding chewing gum, gentle stretching and massaging of the jaw joint muscles, the application of heat or ice packs, and not opening your mouth excessively wide.
Botox is another highly effective treatment for TMJ-TMD pain. Karmazin Dental can inject Botox into your overly tight, painful facial muscles to relax these areas, minimizing the discomfort. Botox decreases nighttime clenching forces and decreases daytime TMJ-TMD pain. The Botox treatment lasts 3-4 months and is repeated, if necessary.
Bruxism Treatments
Simply wearing a night guard is the most common treatment for bruxism, but it is not your only option. Treatments for bruxism are intended to reduce symptoms or eliminate your bruxism altogether. Treatment options include:
- Stress management and relaxation techniques.
- The introduction of muscle relaxants.
- Botox injections to weaken the muscles responsible for the bruxism.
- Practicing consciously properly aligning your jaw.
- Using ice packs on your jaw.
- Considering corrective braces to properly align your teeth.
Our team most likely will recommend wearing a bruxism guard. This is a slightly different type of mouthguard than the kind used for TMJ-TMD. A bruxism mouth guard can be worn on either your upper or lower teeth, and it can be made of a hard-plastic material or a softer, more pliable material. We might recommend a certain type of dental night guard that will work best for you and your bruxism. If you get a custom fitted night guard at Karmazin Dental, you will see your symptoms of bruxism subside.
We Love Creating Beautiful Smiles
The entire team at Karmazin Dental share the exceptional passion radiating from Drs. Molly and Corey Karmazin. Each member of the team works diligently to provide modern dental technology, loving care, and time conscious service. You will find five unique qualities that each team member shares. We believe in and practice team ethics and we collectively make every day and every appointment fun. The unbridled desire for continuing education brings to you a higher level of expertise and skills. You will leave with a smile after experiencing our patience and positive attitudes. We share the simple goal of making your smile the invaluable asset it should be. Please call, text, or email to make your appointment for an evaluation of TMJ-TMD or Bruxism for you.
Our number is 605-323-1320 and we have plenty of convenient parking at our office, 5701 S. Remington Pl, Sioux Falls, SD 57108. At Karmazin Dental we want to achieve perfection with every procedure, but we will accept excellence.
