News

What Causes TMJ Disorder?

What Causes TMJ Disorder?

TMJ Treatments for Lansing, Michigan

As a Lansing dentist, TMJ health is a topic that I frequently receive questions about. I see a fair amount of patients that experience TMJ health related issues, although they usually don’t know they are at the time that the symptoms are occurring. That’s because TMJ often manifests in a multitude of other problems that are hard to imagine being dental related, such as sinus headaches, migraines, neck stiffness, and ear aches. In order to understand why this occurs, it’s important to understand how the temporomandibular joints work. The temporomandibular joints are the joints that connect your mouth to your skull. They are structured in the form of a ball and socket. When the joints are working properly, the ball and socket do not touch because they are cushioned by a thin piece of cartilage.

However, if this disc of cartilage becomes displaced, it can cause the ball and socket to rub against one another and cause the chewing muscles to have to work harder. Over time, the body tries to compensate for this issue by using the aid of the muscles in the back, neck, and shoulders. This eventually leads to muscle spasms which can cause a variety of painful symptoms including headaches, back pain, dizziness, or grinding of the teeth.

TMD Diagnosis and Treatment

We offer a variety of options for the treatment of TMD/TMJ health related issues. In treating TMD, our primary goal is to stabilize the jaw joint. Once the jaw joint is stabilized, the muscle spasms will cease, which usually helps to take away much of the associated pain.

I am honored to extend our TMJ/TMD expertise for patients suffering from this painful condition including facial pain, jaw, pain, headaches and more. All of our individualized treatment plans embrace our holistic approach, offering minimally-invasive, yet effective methodology. Our team is here to provide the support you need for improving your TMJ health and achieving long-term relief from the myriad of symptoms produced by TMD. Patients who have this condition usually suffer from a tremendous amount of pain and debilitating symptoms and have a hard time finding the right treatment.

Learn More About TMJ Health

Dr. Bechtel is a Lansing dentist that is well-versed in the area of TMJ health and has had an extensive amount of success in treating patients from Lansing, Michigan with TMJ health related issues. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms that you believe may be related to TMJ Disorder, please reach out to me for help as soon as possible. Call us today to schedule your appointment and start your journey to receive pain relief from TMJ/TMD. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our holistic dental care, exclusive TMJ/TMD treatment, or any of our other services. Our team is happy to assist you in any way possible. Our holistic dentistry office in Lansing also serves patients living in the nearby areas of Holt, Okemos, Mason, Grand Ledge, Dewitt, Haslett, Williamston, St. Johns, Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, East Lansing, and Potterville.