TMJ Treatment

Dentistry is about so much more than just a pretty smile; our TMJ treatment is just one of the effective ways we prioritize your complete oral health. The TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint. This joint is the hinge on either side of your jaw that enables you to speak and eat.

In some cases, the muscles around the TMJ can go through excess strain due to injury or jaw misalignment. This excess strain can lead to an uncomfortable condition called TMJ disorder. Our team at Dr. Tex Mabalon Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry strives for premium care that focuses on individualized care and aesthetics. Call our Sacramento, CA, office today to get started.

Understanding TMJ Disorder

TMJ disorder (TMD) can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms that might surprise you. These symptoms include the following, but feel free to give us a call if you’re unsure whether the condition is TMJ disorder.

  • Jaw Pain: This is often the most noticeable symptom. You might feel a persistent ache, especially around your jaw joint, or a sharp pain when you chew, yawn, or speak. 
  • Headaches: TMJ issues often lead to frequent headaches. These headaches can range in severity, but mainly feel like chronic headaches. 
  • Jaw Clicking or Popping: Do you hear a distinct clicking, popping, or grinding sound when you move your mouth? This could be a sign of TMJ dysfunction. 

Our dental team is well-versed in oral care treatment across all disciplines. Even if your symptoms don’t lead to TMJ disorder, we are happy to help you find an ideal form of care.

Prioritize Your Well-Being with Dr. Tex

Our office wants to do everything in our power to help our patients improve their whole health and best interests. TMJ disorder can often negatively affect other aspects of your body, so we want to emphasize the importance of understanding and addressing these concerns. 

Learn more about some of the long-term benefits of TMJ treatment below. 

Improved Digestive System

TMJ disorder frequently makes it difficult to eat and drink without pain. This pain can make it challenging for patients to chew food in smaller chunks, leading to larger pieces entering the digestive system. Effective TMJ treatment allows for proper chewing, easing the burden on your digestive organs and promoting better nutrient absorption and gut health. 

Eliminate Neck, Shoulder, and Back Pain

TMJ disorder can create a ripple effect of pain throughout your upper body. The muscles and nerves connected to your jaw also extend to your shoulders, neck, and back. When you are diagnosed with TMJ disorder, it can lead to long-standing chronic tension and discomfort.

Many people suffering from TMJ disorder also find themselves experiencing:

  • Neck stiffness and limited range of motion
  • Aches and knots in your shoulders
  • Upper back pain, especially within the shoulder blades

By addressing the root cause with TMJ treatment, we can alleviate the stress on these connected muscle groups. This treatment can lead to a significant reduction, or even a complete elimination, of this pain, which can help you feel more comfortable and mobile. 

Protect Your Smile

Addressing TMJ disorder promptly allows us to quickly deal with difficult symptoms as soon as they arrive. Without this support, many patients are vulnerable to unconscious and dangerous habits such as teeth grinding (bruxism) and clenching, especially while they sleep. 

These habits add immense pressure on your teeth, leading to:

  • Excessive Wear and Tear: Tooth grinding can flatten the chewing surfaces of your teeth, making them sensitive and more prone to cavities. 
  • Cracked or Chipped Teeth: The force from clenching and grinding can cause teeth to fracture or chip, sometimes even damaging existing dental work such as tooth crowns.
  • Gum Recession: Chronic pressure can also contribute to gums pulling away from your teeth, exposing sensitive roots. 

TMJ treatment goes beyond relieving pain; it actively protects your smile. By addressing the underlying jaw dysfunction, we will work towards reducing and eliminating harmful grinding and clenching. These steps improve your natural tooth structure, safeguard dental work, and maintain the long-term health and aesthetics of your smile.

Elevate Your Lifestyle

While controlling pain is vital to long-term development, TMJ treatment can also greatly improve our patients’ physical and emotional state. Whether you recently dealt with TMJ disorder or managed symptoms for years, our dental team actively finds ways to improve our patients’ long-term satisfaction. Here are some of the long-term benefits of TMJ treatment.

Feel Confident

TMJ disorder can present itself with many noticeable symptoms. These symptoms, such as jaw clicking and pain, can add apprehension for patients in professional and personal contexts. TMJ treatment strives to not just fix uncomfortable circumstances, but also to help our patients thrive outside of chronic pain and tension.

Reduce Stress

Stress and TMJ disorder often form a never-ending cycle. The chronic pain and discomfort from TMJ can significantly elevate stress levels, making daily life harder. Conversely, stress frequently leads to unconscious jaw clenching and teeth grinding— accelerating TMJ symptoms.

Effective TMJ treatment breaks this cycle, alleviating physical pain and reducing the circumstances that cause tension. Many patients find that handling TMJ disorder gives them the gift of time, helping them spend more time on thoughtful living than constant pain management.

Fight Chronic Fatigue and Migraines

The relentless pain and tension associated with TMJ disorder can be incredibly draining, leading to persistent fatigue. TMD is also a common trigger for severe headaches and migraines due to its close connection with facial and neck nerves.

By addressing the root cause of jaw imbalance, TMJ treatment can significantly reduce pain. This treatment helps patients rest better and diminishes the frequency and intensity of migraines.

Our Precise Approach To Dentistry

Our dental team at Dr. Tex Mabalon Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry is committed to changing the way our patients view and act about their oral care. We’re not just another health practitioner—- our goal with our clinic is to establish roots within our local community. Here’s the foundation of making that possible.

Comprehensive Treatment

Each dental consultation and treatment is provided with the highest quality of care and personal attention. We strive to know each patient by name and adapt our framework to meet their needs. Every initial consultation is followed by an entire full-body evaluation, with saliva samples and additional tests, to help our customers feel valued and appreciated.

Smile Makeovers

Our customers in the Arden area come from a wide variety of different health backgrounds. One way that we can create an equitable environment in our cosmetic clinic is through smile makeovers.

Smile makeovers use our comprehensive initial evaluation to expedite your treatment as much as possible. For example, if you have a missing tooth and gum disease, smile makeovers allow us to plan to possibly treat both conditions at the same time. This treatment saves our patients’ treatment time and additional visits to the dentist office.

What Comes Next

Navigating the logistics of treatment can feel overwhelming, but there’s no need to worry. Dr. Tex and our dental team will be by your side every step of the way, guiding you to services that help you feel most confident about your smile long-term.

Determining Treatment

During your first appointment, Dr. Tex will take detailed scans of your smile to pinpoint a personalized treatment plan that maximizes your time here with us. 

Our team has a wide variety of different tools for TMJ treatment that depend on the cause of TMJ strain and your health history.

Preventing TMJ Disorder

Establish healthy habits today by following these steps to avoid TMJ dysfunction. Feel free to give our office a call if you have any questions.

  • Mindful Posture: Maintain proper head and neck alignment (especially while on electronics) to reduce strain on your jaw.
  • Stress Management: Practice relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation to minimize TMJ strain, such as bruxism and teeth clenching. 
  • Balanced Diet: Softer foods and drinks can truly make the difference in preventing jaw damage. Avoiding excessive chewing, such as with gum or candy, can help as well.

Thorough TMJ Treatment Starts Here

Trust premier dental care that has your best interests in mind in the Arden, California, area. Call Dr. Tex and our dental team today to get started.