When a dental patient seeks TMJ Treatment in Wildwood MO, he or she can expect to answer a variety of questions about the symptoms. This helps the dentist understand what this particular patient experiences in regard to temporomandibular joint syndrome and its symptoms. Each patient is unique and the best treatment strategy will vary accordingly.
Is There Continuous or Intermittent Discomfort?
One of the most important questions is whether some level of discomfort is nearly always present or whether pain only happens occasionally. The patient may be able to manage, reduce or eliminate occasional pain by figuring out what causes it. Although the episodes may seem random, they probably are connected with an aspect like stress or certain kinds of activity.
Does the Jaw Make Sounds?
Noises that the patient’s jaw makes are important for the dentist to know which TMJ Treatment in Wildwood MO would be most helpful. Normally, the jaw joint should not make any sounds when the person chews, laughs, talks or yawns. Individuals with TMJ may get a sense that the joint is locking up and causing pain, and at the same time, the jaw makes a clicking or popping sound.
Where Does Pain Occur?
Patients with TMJ may experience pain in other parts of the body connected to the jaw by soft tissues. They may experience headaches, face pain, earaches and neck pain related to the disorder. The dentist may want to create a diagram that the patient can fill in routinely to identify exactly where discomfort occurs, and what might be the cause. Later, they can review the diagrams that have been completed and plan a course of action.
Plans of Action
For some patients, the best plan is behavioral. The person will be able to stop these episodes by changing behavior. This might be accomplished without further professional help, but some patients benefit from therapies at a clinic such as New Age Dental Care. For instance, patients who clench and grind their teeth may benefit from wearing a customized mouth guard to prevent this behavior. Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment for evaluation of the problem may browse our website for contact details.
