Doctor Andrew J. Sampalis on TMJ Treatments
I will see patients that come in with a TMJ, temporal mandibular joint, that’s jaw joint pain, okay. Some of the symptoms that go along with that, number one symptom is pain in the joint, oftentimes it will be clicking in the joint. Some common symptoms that go along with the pain in the joint are frequent headaches, neck and shoulder pain, or ringing, ringing sound ears.
Um, I say when they’re laying down to go get up, they get a little dizzy sometimes, they say yes, so dizziness is also a common symptom. And unless trauma was involved, typically TMJ problems are brought on by an abnormal bite. Uh, so during the clinical exam, it’s very easy for me to see someone who has a, what’s called a crossbite or some type of abnormal bite.
And when I see that, I’m always checking their joint and ask them how it feels. As far as treatment for that, I tell them the number one treatment is change the bite, braces, okay. Most adults don’t want to go that route, and I understand that, okay.
So what other options do we have? There’s appliances that I can make that, um, can give some relief. And I explain to the patient an appliance is not a cure. The appliance is an aid.
Uh, it’s worn, you know, eight hours a night or however long you sleep. And for most patients, I found that wearing that appliance, once it’s adjusted properly, that gives that joint enough of a rest so that the other 16 hours when they’re awake, the symptoms are greatly reduced. Sometimes they’re gone, but I tell them, don’t think that you’ve worn it for a few months.
Now you feel great that you can stop wearing it. It doesn’t work that way because the underlying problem is still there. It’s just that abnormal bite.
So it’s imperative that you go on to, you know, be pain free and symptom free, or at least better. You need to keep wearing the appliance. So, uh, I’ve, I’ve helped a lot of patients with, uh, you know, TMJ issues, you know, with an oral appliance.
Again, realizing it’s, it’s just an aid. It’s not a cure. Um, but they do real well with it.
