TMJ Treatment
in Ottawa

A dentist can assess and diagnose a patient’s TMJ symptoms and recommend effective forms of treatment. For instance, if a patient’s TMJ issues come from teeth grinding or jaw clenching, they can recommend a dental appliance such as a dental plate or splint to keep them from causing further damage and allow the TMJ joint to rest and recover. Furthermore, a dentist can refer the patient to a specialist for treatment, or a physiotherapist if needed.

TMJ disorder is not life-threatening, however leaving it untreated can lead to increased pain, discomfort and tension in the jaw that can affect other areas of your life. Parts of your life may change to revolve around relieving your pain and discomfort. Chronic pain has also been shown to lead to the development of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Don’t ignore jaw pain, especially when you experience it regularly. Contact us instead to see if we can help!

There are a number of different causes for TMJ pain to flare up including:

• Stress which can cause jaw clenching and teeth grinding when awake or asleep.
• Hormonal changes caused by medications or supplements.
• Hard and chewy foods which can add more stress to an already strained TMJ.
• Poor posture which can shift your lower jaw forward, disrupting its normal function.
• Weak neck muscles that don’t support the TMJ properly.

Yes, it can. In fact, many people who begin to experience TMJ symptoms tend to have them on one side of their face. As the disorder progresses, it usually begins to affect the other side of the face as well. However, in some cases, it can continue to affect only one side of the face.

If you have TMJ pain that is making it difficult to sleep, try lying on your back. This is the best position to keep your neck and back in good alignment, and keep pressure off of your jaw, alleviating pain, and allowing the joint to rest and recover while you sleep.

In most cases, surgery is not required to treat TMJ dysfunction. Non-surgical approaches are taken to relieve you of the symptoms you are experiencing. Typically, a mouth guard or night guard will be recommended to treat TMJ. In cases that are more severe, your dentist will refer you to an Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon for corrective jaw surgery.

Practice good posture and relax the jaw muscles whenever you can to avoid acquiring a TMJ issue.

Additionally, it’s crucial to have routine dental exams so that your dentist can identify any potential bite or jaw problems early on and give you the chance to take additional preventative steps.

Please get in touch with Pretoria Bridge Dental if you have any additional queries about TMJ or TMD. we specialise in treating TMJ issues in the Ottawa area.

These two terms are related and frequently used interchangeably. Temporomandibular joint, or TMJ for short, is the joint that joins the lower jaw to the skull. Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD, is what happens when the TMJ is impacted by problems that frequently cause discomfort or pain. It’s not uncommon for the term TMJ to be used in place of TMD.