You may be noticing some pain, tightness, and tenderness in your face, jaw, mouth, and neck area but aren’t sure what’s causing these symptoms. While millions of people suffer from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD/TMJ), a large percentage of those people go without being properly diagnosed or are altogether misdiagnosed because the signs and symptoms of this complex disorder of the jaw joints present a wide array of symptoms. Often, those symptoms seem unrelated to a medical professional without training and education in disorders of the TMJs.

Dr. Mark Kuchta is the neuromuscular dentist at Complete Health Dentistry of Park Ridge in Illinois, and just as the name indicates, we treat much more than your oral health; we treat whole body health, and for that reason, we provide comprehensive TMJ diagnosis and treatment for patients of all ages. Whether you’re a young adult noticing the early signs and symptoms of TMJ or have been suffering from this disorder for many years, we can help.

Using the most advanced TMJ technology available today and backed by many years of experience diagnosing and treating TMJ, Dr. Kuchta and his staff stand ready to thoroughly evaluate your current situation and offer some treatment recommendations to help lessen those symptoms and eradicate your TMD forever.

What is the Temporomandibular Joint?

Before we examine the numerous symptoms of TMJ, let’s first explain what TMJ is, what it does, and what happens when its function goes awry.

The Temporomandibular Joints slide and rotate in front of each ear and consist of the mandible (the lower jaw) and the temporal bone (the side and base of the skull). That’s how they got their name “temporomandibular.” You have two TMJs, one on either side of the face just below each ear.

The TMJs, along with several muscles, nerves, joints, and tendons, allow the mandible to move side-to-side, up and down, and forward and back. The TMJs are the hardest-working joints in the human body and the only joints that can move in three different directions. When there is a problem with the Temporomandibular Joints and some type of joint dysfunction, several symptoms may be present.

When the muscles, ligaments, disk, jawbone, and temporal bone are not in sync and not aligned properly, you will feel the painful symptoms of TMJ. When those symptoms become too severe to ignore, you will want to seek TMJ treatment in Park Ridge, Illinois, with Dr. Kuchta.

TMJ Signs and Symptoms

TMJ symptoms may affect the head, face, ears, neck, and back. You may have just one or two of these symptoms or several, as every patient describes a different combination of symptoms. There are many other causes of TMJ, but sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint what specific event caused your jaw dysfunction. What is important is that if you have any of the below symptoms, Dr. Kuchta can relieve them with no surgery and no narcotic medication.

This condition often develops over time due to teeth clenching and grinding (known as “bruxism”), but it can also occur following a blow to the face or car accident, in which the head and face are injured.

Do you have any of these early TMJ symptoms?

  • Headache
  • Migraine
  • Pain in the jaw
  • Tightness in the jaw
  • Difficulty opening and closing the jaw
  • Locked jaw
  • Clicking/popping noises in the jaw
  • Ear pain
  • Ear congestion/fullness
  • Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
  • Neck pain
  • Neck stiffness
  • Back pain (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar)
  • Tingling or numbness in the hands/fingers

Yes, that’s quite a list, but this disorder is wide-reaching. With so many early signs and symptoms of TMJ, you can see why people with TMJ find it challenging to cope with most mundane daily activities. Even talking and chewing can be painful with TMJ, and yawning can be super painful as your jaw is likely tight and tender from your damaged joints. You no longer suffer the painful symptoms of TMJ, and Dr. Kuchta has innovative TMJ technology to ease your symptoms.

A Quick Look at TMJ Treatment

TMJ diagnosis involves a combination of CBCT imagery (Cone Beam Computer Tomography), computerized tracking, muscle activity measurement, and sonography of the joints to identify the optimal resting position of your jaw. Depending on the severity of your TMJ, treatments may include:

  • Regular TENS treatments (Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation)
  • Oral orthotics (similar to an athletic mouth guard but custom-designed to move your jaw into its optimal position while you sleep)
  • Dental restorations that will repair worn, damaged teeth and allow your joints to function properly and stay properly aligned.
  • Behavior modifications (changing sleeping position, upgrading pillow/mattress selection, creating a healthy nighttime routine before falling asleep, and making minor dietary changes) often do wonders to supplement TMJ treatment with our revolutionary technology.

Regardless of the severity of your TMJ symptoms, we can help.

Contact Us Today

Are you ready to take the first step toward living life without the painful symptoms of TMJ? Please call the office of TMJ dentist Dr. Mark Kuchta today at (847) 696-3240.