How can we help you?
At our office, we believe that understanding and education can make a huge difference in the lives of our patients. Patients who learn about their dental health and take steps to be proactive have better outcomes. We will take every opportunity to discuss your dental health with you, and we will always provide information so that you can make the health decisions that are right for you.
If you ever have a question about the care you receive at our office or a dental treatment or procedure, don't hesitate to ask. You can always give us a call or contact us using our convenient online form. We've compiled a selection of the questions we are most commonly asked. Feel free to take a look. If your question isn't answered here or you need more information, let us know so we can help.
TMJ Treatment
Excessive teeth grinding, or bruxism, is common and affects millions of Americans each year. Bruxism can cause real damage because the force of your jaw is so strong. You can wear down your teeth, break them, and even crack them. Treating bruxism is so important to maintaining your dental health.
Teeth Grinding Treatment in Irvine
Dr. Jeffrey Robertson is skilled in bruxism treatment. Excessive teeth grinding can cause TMJ symptoms to develop or worsen, so it is important to take care of it right away. Generally, we use an oral appliance to treat bruxism. We offer several different styles to suit your needs.
Once Dr. Robertson does a full exam, he can recommend the treatment he believes will help you the most. Treating your bruxism in a timely fashion may help you to avoid serious dental conditions in the future.
What Happens If You Don't Get It Treated?
Some of the most common consequences of untreated bruxism include cracked teeth that require dental crowns, a root canal from trauma, and prematurely shortened teeth. All of the treatments for these conditions are more expensive and invasive than the treatment of bruxism, so why not call us today to schedule your evaluation, and we can help to protect your smile? Dr. Jeffrey Robertson and our entire team look forward to seeing you.
Contrary to what you might think, TMJ treatment is usually non-invasive and painless. In fact, the goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms that accompany TMJ. Symptoms of TMJ include, but are not limited to:
- Jaw pain
- Facial pain
- Teeth grinding
- Popping, clicking, or grinding in your joint
- Jaw locking open or closed
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Teeth not coming together correctly
- Unstable bite
If you experience any of these symptoms, call our Irvine, CA dental office to schedule a TMJ evaluation. TMJ generally does not resolve on its own and your joint may deteriorate over time.
Treating TMJ in Irvine
Additionally, the severity of your symptoms may significantly decrease your quality of life by causing pain and fatigue. Our patients report a significant reduction in symptoms after treatment for even a short time. The custom occlusal appliances we make for our patients help to release the tension for your jaw and protect your teeth from constant grinding.
Dr. Jeffrey Robertson designs custom oral appliances to keep your jaw in a comfortable position so that you can heal and get relief without surgery.
Our oral appliances may take a little getting used to, but they do not hurt. Most patients get completely used to wearing them within a couple of days.
TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint. When people refer to TMJ, they are often referring to a group of symptoms associated with a damaged or sore TMJ. Some of the most common symptoms of TMJ include pain, clicking, popping, locking, and muscle soreness.
When we treat TMJ in our office, Dr. Jeffrey Robertson will perform a full evaluation so that he knows how to best approach your treatment. TMJ is not a one-size-fits-all diagnosis and our recommendations depend largely on the severity of your symptoms.
In most cases, we use a combination of medications and an oral appliance. We offer several different types of oral appliances depending on what will work best to quickly and effectively treat your symptoms. From a full occlusal guard to an NTI, we can describe each option and show you examples, helping you to make the best decision possible.
Follow Up Appointments in Irvine
No matter what route you choose for treatment, follow up visits and close monitoring of your progress may be necessary while your muscles relax and your body heals. Dr. Jeffrey Robertson will let you know what type of follow up care is appropriate for you.
Many of our patients report outstanding results with our TMJ treatment because they get effective relief from their pain quickly and non-invasively. Call our office to schedule your evaluation!
People often refer to conditions of the jaw as TMJ because your jaw joint is called the temporomandibular joint. Conditions of the jaw are often referred to as TMJD or temporomandibular joint disorder.
Usually when people say they have TMJ, they are referring to the symptoms of a joint disorder or dysfunction. Some of the symptoms may include:
- Clicking
- Popping
- Pain
- Locking open
- Locking closed
- Headaches
- Neck aches
- Shoulder pain
- Teeth grinding
TMJD often starts with no real cause, though some patients have reported symptoms after a car accident, sports injury, or other trauma. Often, a cause cannot be pinpointed. TMJD can start at any stage of life in both men and women.
Treating TMJ in Irvine
You may notice worsening symptoms after you wake up in the morning. If you do, it is a pretty good indication that you are grinding your teeth at night. A night guard or splint could help to relieve your symptoms and improve your comfort. A night guard can also protect your teeth from wear and tear you may cause from teeth grinding and clenching.
Sometimes, symptoms may be worse at times of stress. Managing your stress and limiting stress-causing foods like caffeine and sugar could work in conjunction with treatment to provide you faster relief.
If you hear regular clicking and popping in your jaw, you may be suffering from something called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMJD for short). TMJD is a condition where your jaw is out of alignment. This can cause pain, clicking, popping, locking, and even change how your teeth come together. Because TMJD rarely resolves on its own, if you suspect you have TMJD, scheduling an appointment with a dentist who knows about TMJ would be a good idea.
Patients often start having symptoms after having and accident, new dental work, or symptoms may gradually appear over time. Teenagers often experience clicking and popping, but rarely report anything unless pain is involved.
At our office, Dr. Jeffrey Robertson treats TMJ with several different approaches, depending on your symptoms. Treatment is generally non-invasive and using an occlusal splint or NTI device can relieve most symptoms.
Mouthguard for TMJ in Irvine
An occlusal guard is made of acrylic and fits comfortable over your teeth during the day or at night. It can help to reposition the jaw and prevent tooth grinding. An NTI device fits over your front teeth at night, and gently moves your jaw forward, preventing grinding and providing relief to your muscles.
The treatment that works best for you depends on your symptoms and the severity of your symptoms. Dr. Robinson can help you feel more comfortable and relieve symptoms of TMJ through effective diagnosis and treatment.