November is TMJ Awareness Month and Drs. Hubbard, Keynton Sill, and Mitnick want to highlight issues connected to your temporomandibular joints (TMJ). TMJ refers to the joints that connect the mandible (your lower jaw) to the temporal bones (your skull). When you have issues related to your TMJ, you can experience chronic jaw pain and need to be examined by your Sterling dentist to develop a treatment plan to remedy it. If left undiagnosed, your symptoms may get worse and affect your ability to chew and speak, causing more discomfort. Your dental team is here to help!
TMJ refers to the joint itself, but the disorder is known as TMD and is a common problem for both men and women, although symptoms have been known to be worse for women in their childbearing years. Symptoms of TMD may include:
Jaw pain around your ears and temples
Persistent headaches or migraines
Jaw locking or limited movement in the jaw
Popping or clicking noise when you’re chewing
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
TMD arises due to a variety of factors, some of the most common reasons include experiencing a trauma or injury that affects your jaw area, if you have a misaligned bite that causes long-term pressure on your jaw, or if you suffer from arthritis or autoimmune diseases.
Your Sterling dentist is your first point of contact to recognize any TMJ-related issues, so be sure to share your symptoms when you speak to us so we can help alleviate your symptoms.
Drs. Hubbard, Keynton Sill, Mitnick and the rest of the team are looking forward to helping you unlock your best smile and decrease chronic jaw pain. Schedule a consultation at Sterling Virginia Smiles, your local dentist serving Sterling, Ashburn and the DC metro area.