Do you suffer from frequent jaw pain? When you wake up, do your teeth hurt from clenching and grinding? Dr. William Harper treats patients with TMJ disorders in his Newport News, VA dental office. The temporomandibular joint which connects the jaw to the skull may cause pain or dysfunction when injured, resulting in TMJ disorders. TMJ disorders often come with painful symptoms that can make it difficult to eat or sleep. Call Dr. Harper to alleviate these symptoms and relieve pressure on the temporomandibular joint.
TMJ FAQs
Learn the answers to common questions that many patients have about TMJ disorders below:
What are the symptoms of TMJ disorders?
TMD can have many symptoms that manifest in multiple ways. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- Jaw pain or tenderness
- Chronic headaches and migraines
- Difficulty chewing
- Tooth sensitivity
- Lockjaw
- Teeth clenching and grinding (bruxism)
- Muscle spasms
Please contact our office if you notice any of these symptoms or have lived with these problems for a long time. It’s never too late to get the dental care you need.
What are the risk factors for developing TMJ?
Patients who are under stress, have crooked teeth, or have experienced a jaw injury are often more prone to developing TMJ disorders. Schedule regular appointments with us so we can keep track of your oral health, especially if you have these risk factors.
How can TMJ disorders be treated?
We offer mouthguards and bite correction therapy to treat patients with TMJ disorders. Our custom mouthguards can be worn at night to keep the teeth from grinding together. This mouthguard can also adjust the bite into a more comfortable position. Bite correction therapy helps patients if their teeth are not in proper contact, need to be straightened, or require replacement. Orthodontics, dental restorations, and cosmetic treatments like veneers and crowns can correct the bite.
Schedule a Dental Consultation
Do you think you may have a TMJ disorder? New patients can contact our office for treatment at 757.414.7227. If you are a current patient, call us at 757.868.8152. You may also request a dental appointment with Dr. Harper and his team online.