Are you suffering from chronic, excruciating migraines? Many times, patients mistake TMJ disorder for overwhelming headaches. Common symptoms for this condition are jaw pain and frequent migraines. Instead of avoiding light and loud noises, Knoxville, TN dentist Dr. Jack Haney recommends TMJ treatment. We use advanced technology to reduce jaw pain felt from stressed or misaligned temporomandibular joints.
TMJ disorder has been linked with sleep apnea. Patients who have sleep apnea unconsciously wake up throughout the night because they stop breathing for a few seconds. Many times those with this condition don’t realize they have sleep apnea, but rather report feelings of exhaustion throughout the day or heavily depend on caffeine to stay awake.
Bruxism (teeth grinding) is a common cause of TMJ disorder. Dr. Haney creates customized plastic mouth guards for patients who grind their teeth at night. This guard prevents patients from rubbing their upper and lower teeth together, which can reduce jaw tension.
To learn more about jaw pain and non-surgical TMJ treatment, call 865-693-6886 to schedule your consultation with Knoxville, TN dentist Dr. Haney.
Patients with severe jaw pain and frequent migraines often feel hesitant to go about their daily routines. Jaw pain can stop you from enjoying your favorite foods or socializing with friends and family. Migraines can make you want to hide away in a dark room all day. At your consultation with Dr. Haney, he will ask various questions about your daily life to determine the cause of your jaw pain. Stress is a common cause of TMJ related jaw pain. He will perform a visual examination of your head, jaw, and teeth for signs of TMJ disorder or tooth wear.
TMJ Disorder and Jaw Pain
There are two joints on either side of the head that attach the upper and lower jaws (mandible) to the skull. These joints are referred to as temporomandibular joints. When the jaw joints become stressed or overworked, extreme jaw pain occurs. TMJ disorder is often caused by teeth injuries, malocclusion (misaligned bite), arthritis, and stress.
Symptoms for TMJ disorder include:
- Neck and shoulder stiffness
- Frequent migraines
- Locked jaw
- Muscle spasms
Along with these symptoms, patients with this disorder often experience numbness in extremities, popping or clicking sounds when they open their jaw and hear a ringing noise in their ears. Many physicians commonly misdiagnose TMJ disorder.
Dr. Haney’s Jaw Pain Solution
In many cases, Dr. Haney can reduce jaw pain through muscle stimulation. During this treatment, he will use Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation (TENS unit) to relax masticatory muscles. These muscles are responsible for assisting with chewing. The TENS unit relaxes tensed or fatigued facial muscles. After this procedure, patients will experience a reduction of facial and neck pain, as well as a decrease in migraines.
A significant aspect of jaw pain treatment is aligning an improper jaw. Misalignment exerts unnecessary tension onto temporomandibular joints. At your consultation, Dr. Haney will evaluate your occlusion. He will recommend the appropriate treatment.
For some patients, non-surgical treatment isn’t enough. In that case, Dr. Haney refers patients to an oral surgeon, where they will schedule surgical jaw pain treatment.
Call 865-693-6886 today to schedule your appointment to discuss jaw pain treatment with Dr. Haney in Knoxville, TN. We look forward to hearing from you.
