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TMJ Treatment
and Joint Analysis

TMJ Treatment
and Joint Analysis

If you are experiencing jaw pain, difficulties chewing, opening your mouth, or have had a history of pain, noises in the joint or have difficulty opening your mouth wide, you may suffer from TMJ Disorder.

Schedule a consultation to get the help you need. The most common symptom is pain or achiness radiating from your TMJ, but other common symptoms include, headaches, clicking or grinding sounds when moving your jaw, or locking of the jaw.

How TMJ treatment can help

This joint is a small, intricate part that connects your lower jaw to the base of your skull. If the TMJ or surrounding muscles become irritated, inflamed, or damaged it can result in discomfort, pain or even improper growth of the jaws during development. During every examination at Expertise Dental our doctors will check your joint and ask you about any symptoms.

If you need a detailed extensive exam for your joint, Dr. Swanson will help determine which treatment option will be best for you. We use 3D CBCT Imaging to aid in examining you and if need be, we will send you for an MRI. We will conduct a clinical evaluation of your bite, your joint and the muscles associated with the joint.

We may recommend a custom designed orthotic or appliance, use of anti-inflammatories, neurotoxin therapy, physical therapy and/or chiropractic care . We will work with our team of surgeons if need be, but only 5-10% of all TM joint issues are surgical. This means we can use therapies to help this joint and muscle complex heal over time. Once we know the origin of your TMJ discomfort we can begin treatment.

Treatment options for TMJ Disorder

An occlusal guard, orthotic, or deprogrammer will be used depending on the cause of your pain and discomfort. The appliance we choose will take the strain off your temporomandibular joint, allowing the muscles and tissues to calm or become less inflamed. Some appliances we use will shift the position of your jaw to stabilize the joint.

Occlusal Equilibration, analyzing and balancing your bite, or restorations to build a better bite, may be recommended. Possibly orthodontics, or Invisalign, to get the teeth in a better bite position, may be prescribed to help stabilize your joint issue, and have a healthy balance.

Melissa Minger Swanson DMD,FAGD

Meet Dr. Swanson

For TMJ Treatment

Dr. Swanson focuses on treating patients with Complex Esthetic issues, TMJ disorders and Occlusal issues, Airway Health, Wellness, and Preventive Care. She is a residency-trained general dentist with an emphasis on advanced comprehensive adult care. Her passion for dentistry shines through her detailed work, the genuine care with which she treats her patients, and her love of working with interdisciplinary teams.

She enjoys using state-of-the-art technology to evaluate and treat TMD, craniofacial growth, and airway. She completed a Sleep Medicine residency at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco in 2016 which allows her to incorporate working with physicians and multidisciplinary groups to address breathing issues, airway health and overall wellness, into her practice.

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