If you’ve been diagnosed with a temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMD, you are not alone. Up to 35 million people in the United States struggle with this condition, which affects the joints that connect the jaw to the skull. TMJ can cause various painful symptoms, including headaches, neck and shoulder discomfort, dizziness, and vision problems.
Dealing with such symptoms can be frustrating and disrupt your quality of life. You may be wondering what options are available to treat TMJ. Keep reading to learn more about TMD and how Disclusion Time Reduction Therapy, also known as DTR, can help.
What is TMJ?
Located on either side of the head in front of the ears, the hinge-like temporomandibular joints (TMJ) attach the skull to the jawbone. With the help of ligaments, muscles, discs, and bones, the TMJ work to create the movements involved with eating and speaking.
Because the joints can slide, they may be easily damaged, especially when the shock-absorbing discs between the skull and lower jaw slip out of alignment or break down. As a result, TMJ may be experienced.
The cause of TMJ differs from one person to the next. Problems in the TMJ or nearby muscles, as well and can be to blame. A condition called bruxism, which involves grinding the teeth and clenching the jaw, is often a culprit of TMD, along with arthritis, stress, and dislocation of the jaw.
What is DTR?
It may be surprising to learn that many head and neck muscles are associated with TMD. How these muscles function is in large part determined by the way, your teeth come together. When the timing and force of your bite are not in alignment, it causes the muscles that control your jaw to become imbalanced, overworked, and exhausted.
Various dental clinics such as H. Robert Stender DDS are pleased to offer noninvasive TMD treatments with Disclusion Time Reduction Therapy (DTR). Different technologies are used to measure the timing, pressure, and muscle activity associated with the bite to perform this type of care.
The bite’s force is analyzed, and the percentage of the force between the opposing teeth is measured. The timing, balance, and impact that occurs between teeth as chewing occurs are also calculated. This data helps the dental team remove small, precise amounts of enamel from the teeth where uneven pressure exists.
It further aids in determining exactly where the tooth should be built up with a tooth-colored filling to create a better balance and improve the bite. Patients who undergo this type of therapy may notice an improvement in their symptoms as soon as DTR treatment is completed.
No physical therapy, special diet, surgery, medicine, or downtime is typically required as part of DTR therapy.
Find Relief and Quality Care In Pasadena
There is no reason you should have to struggle with chronic pain, dizziness, and jaw pain when it comes to TMD. The experts at H. Robert Stender DDS can help alleviate TMD’s symptoms by recommending the appropriate treatment or combination of treatments most suitable for you. As a TMJ specialist in Pasadena, you can rest assured you’re in the best of hands when you visit H. Robert Stender DDS.