TMD Symptoms and Diagnosis
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) can cause a lifetime of pain and other debilitating symptoms because it often goes undiagnosed. The main symptom is headaches, often mistaken for migraines, and sufferers visit a series of medical doctors in search of pain relief. A pain prescription can certainly address the pain, but without an accurate diagnosis, no lasting treatment is possible.
TMD Symptoms
- Pain about the face, neck and shoulders
- Jaw joint noises; clicking, popping and/or grating
- Limited ability to open mouth wide or side to side
- Frequent headaches, often around the temple area
- Deep pain in the jaw joint itself
Other symptoms that tend to stem from the primary symptoms are:
- Poor posture
- Dental restorations that fail
- Depression
- Sleep disorders
- Tooth grinding
Diagnosing TMD
The first step is to determine that your concern is not another type of medical or dental problem behaving like TMD.
This determination is made following an initial TMJ Screening Visit that includes the completion of a thorough TMJ history form, x-rays of the teeth and jaw joints and a preliminary clinical examination of the jaw joints, muscle system, bite and teeth.
We may also advise patients to seek a concurrent medical exam from a medical doctor (ideally an ENT) to rule out the presence of medical problems which may be occurring in combination with or disguising themselves as TMJ problems.
Following the TMJ Screening visit examination, if the preliminary diagnosis is TMJ disorder, then further tests may be indicated to identify the exact nature of the problem and to assist in developing the most appropriate treatment strategy.
Please read more about the Causes of TMD and TMD Treatment. To schedule your free initial consultation in the St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota area, please contact us today. You can be free from painful TMJ disorders.
 |
