Coastal Virginia Sleep Solutions doesn’t just treat obstructive sleep apnea. We also offer TMJ treatment in Hampton Roads, VA. TMJ disorders can also impact the quality of your sleep, as you’re often grinding and clenching your teeth throughout the night. Learn more about the quality treatment Dr. William Harper and staff provide for TMJ disorders.
What are TMJ Disorders?
TMJ refers to the area where the pain is concentrated, the temporomandibular joints. TMJ disorders cause this area to become inflamed and painful. The muscles become tight and tense. It often happens because you’re clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth together. However, there’s no definite cause
TMJ pain is persistent and doesn’t seem to go away. You may have tried over the counter painkillers to treat the problem, but they only help for so long. The pain comes back. While it’s hard to get an official diagnosis, Dr. Harper can evaluate your bite and jaw and determine if a TMJ disorder is the cause of your pain.
How Can I Tell if I Have a TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorders can be difficult to determine. One of the biggest tells is having pain and tension in your facial and neck muscles. Chronic headaches, particularly when you wake up in the morning are also a problem. Your jaw may lock up or be difficult to open. It may pop when you open it or move it to a certain position.
You may also notice pain in your jaw, as well as impacts on your teeth. With grinding and clenching, TMJ disorder sufferers often have wear and tear on their teeth, or even ones that are broken or cracked. This may be due to you clenching your jaw harder than your teeth can handle.
Hampton Roads, Virginia TMJ Treatment
At Coastal Virginia Sleep Solutions, we want to give you the best treatment for your specific condition. TMJ disorders aren’t often something that can be completely cured. But your problems and the side effects you have from TMJ can increase over time, even if you have a period with no pain or tension.
With TMJ treatment, we’ll help you alleviate the symptoms you have and prevent more from occurring or getting worse. Your quality of life and the health of your teeth can be impacted by these disorders. We want to help rid you of that problem.
During a TMJ consultation, Dr. Harper will do a clinical evaluation of your jaw, the joint, and muscle, targeting where you’re feeling pain. He’ll also use information gathered from you and your experiences with the condition so far and factor that into his findings. Each case of TMJ is different, so treatment will be personalized for each patient.
TMJ is, unfortunately, a long-term problem. Dr. Harper will determine which form of treatment will be best to relieve symptoms in your case. Treatment often comes in the form of a customized oral device you wear when you sleep. The device helps prevent you from clenching or grinding and keeps your jaw in an ideal position throughout the night.
Don’t suffer from the pain TMJ disorders can bring. Call us today or schedule an appointment online for TMJ treatment in Hampton Roads, VA!