TMJ Treatment

TMJ disorder refers to the temporomandibular joint in the jaw. When there is a problem, the muscles, joints and bones of the jaw are not properly working in coordination with the head. The condition can cause severe and constant pain or it can cause just occasional pain. Other symptoms include clicking and popping of the jaw or even the locking open of the jaw. Treatment can range from simple massage to oral appliances to even surgery, although surgery is not usually necessary. Whatever the degree of the symptoms, without treatment, damage will continue to occur.

Smoking Cessation

Over 400,000 people die a year in the United States from tobacco-related causes. Smoking and chewing tobacco can lead to various types of diseases like emphysema or cancer, including but not limited to lip, mouth, throat and lung cancer. Other side-effects, although not as serious, include stained teeth, bad breath and mouth sores. We are available to help anyone who needs help quitting their tobacco habit. We would be happy to discuss the problem and the results of smoking as well as find a potential solution.

Nightguards

Many patients suffer from night grinding, or clenching. This can be a serious problem as it can lead to premature wear of the enamel on the teeth as well as severe pain in the jaw. For these patients, we can create an appliance that the patient wears at night which positions the jaw in such a way that the top and bottom teeth cannot touch each other. By not allowing the teeth to grind or clench, the problem is often eliminated. As each patient’s needs are unique, we offer different options for nightguards. Two of the most common options are the Comfort H/S Bite Splint system and the NTI-tss.
The Comfort H/S Bite Splint is an appliance that covers all of the patient’s teeth (most often the top teeth). It has soft, moldable sides, which is gentle on the gingiva and soft tissue. It has a shock-absorbing polymer material that greatly reduces the physical stress and harmful effects of grinding and clenching. The NTI-tss is an FDA-approved, tiny, clear-plastic device that fits over your top two front teeth. By its design, it doesn’t allow the posterior teeth to contact each other, thereby making clenching virtually impossible. Because of its small size it takes no time at all to get used to wearing it through the night. Patient feedback for the NTI-tss has been nothing but positive.

Snore Prevention Devices

For those patients who suffer from chronic snoring, we can help. By creating a custom fit device that the patient wears while sleeping, it is possible to decrease, or even eliminate the snoring altogether.

Athletic Guards

When our patients participate in team sports, such as soccer, hockey or football or even individual activities such as rollerblading or biking, we strongly recommend a mouthguard. Mouthguards protect the teeth and jaws by acting like shock absorbers, reducing the risk of dental injury. In just two visits we can create a custom fit mouthguard for our patient’s athletic needs.

Desensitizing Medicament

Sometimes patients will come to us complaining of tooth or root sensitivity, perhaps due to receding gums or brushing too firmly with a hard toothbrush. If this happens, we can often apply a material to the area, simply by painting it on, which will greatly reduce the sensitivity or even get rid of it completely. We use a similar material under other work, like fillings or crowns, which decrease the sensitivity felt after the procedure is completed.