TMJ surgery is where the oral surgeon goes in a with an incision just in front of the ear and opens up the jaw joint and places a small permanent suture to hold the TMJ disc in the correct position. Done correctly, this can really help TMJ pain and clicking go away. Done incorrectly and it can make the problem worse. Sometimes the jaw joint is so destroyed that an artificial joint is necessary, much like a knee or hip

TMJ splint therapy is used to relocate the lower jaw with respect to the upper jaw so the disc (about the size of a certz candy) can realign itself. The jaw usually has to be pushed downward at first, to give the disc room to fill the space and heal. Afterwards a second splint may be made or the first one altered to position the jaw forward, so that the clicking stops. Important Note: There will always be a space

The most common cause of problems with the TMJ is due to a displaced disc, due to a mandible that for whatever reason is displaced too far backwards. The disc will pop and click and eventually wear down and cause pain. It is much easier to fix this problem, than to wait until the disc tissue is almost work through and the popping stops and a grinding noise of the upper and lower jaws grinding together.

The TMJ or Temporal Mandibular Joint is the mandibular or lower jaw joint. Problems with the TMJ can cause referred pain to the head, neck and even the shoulders.

Poor Posture Did you know that a retruded, or underdeveloped lower jaw can cause forward head posture? The exact cause of this is unknown, but it is thought that the brain gets signals from the lower jaw as to where to posture the head. With all the electronic gadgets and computers that we use now, it is becoming more and more of a problem. Dentists and physicians should check on this, but most never do because there are so many

We consume too much animal protein in our diet. Watch the film on Netflix called Cowspiracy to see how the animal agriculture industry has conspired to get us to eat more animal protein. A healthy diet consists of whole foods. Try reading books on nutrition. You tube has many videos on healthy cooking. We have a blog on this.

A discussion with your dentist should take place, if you or your child has a lot of sugar in their diet. Even if the dentist restores your teeth, the restorations are doomed to failure if you, or your child has a diet that is high in sugar and candy. Never allow your baby to drink sweetened beverages place in a baby bottle at night. Only put water in the bottle if your child needs a bottle at night to get

Tongue Thrust Habit Sometimes a child or an adult can develop a tongue thrust habit in which they push on the back of their front teeth with their tongue. The teeth will splay forward into an unsightly appearance. You always need to check the child’s or adult’s airway before trying to correct this problem. The problem could be that there is not enough space in the mouth for the tongue, due to small underdeveloped dental arches. There could be a

This can be very detrimental to your child’s teeth if it is allowed to continue after the child is 3 or 4. There are orthodontic pacifiers available for toddlers that will not cause damage to the child’s bite. The dentist can place an orthodontic device in your child’s mouth that is glued in which will not allow the child to suck their thumb or other digits. It is not always successful. Please be supportive and encouraging to your child if

There are many causes of head and neck pain, which to doctors is called craniofacial pain. If the problem arises in the jaw joint or TMJ, it is called intracapsular pain. There is a capsule that surrounds the Temporal Mandibular Joint, which encases the joint. This capsule can become inflammed and pain can arise from the TMJ disc that is underneath the capsule. Many times this pain can be referred to other areas of the head and neck, misleading you

The upper and lower jaws can be misaligned because of bite problems that weren’t diagnosed and treated early. Usually when the bite is off, it is best to correct it as soon as possible. Also craniofacial bones can be misaligned causing problems and pain. Image courtesy of carlottioralsurgery.com.