St. Paul Highland Park Dentist Explains Causes and Treatment for TMJ

Written by Drs. Mark and Rachel Malterud on Jun 10, 2021

One of my regular patients, Julia, came to our office for a routine examination. During the exam Julia indicated that she had begun to experience pain and stiffness in her jaw and that she seemed to have more headaches than usual. We talked for a bit about other seemingly unrelated symptoms she was experiencing including neck pain and slight ringing in the ears. I told Julia that all of those symptoms strongly indicated a diagnosis of TMJ.

Julia was familiar with the term ‘TMJ’, but didn’t really understand what it is or the effect it could have on her life and general health. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, the joint on either side of your jaw, just in front of the ear, that allows the jaw to move up and down and side to side for biting, chewing, talking, yawning, and making facial expressions. TMJ is also the term frequently used for temporomandibular joint disorders (also referred to as TMJD).

People experience the symptoms of TMJ for any number of reasons and it varies from person to person.  It can be caused by stress, teeth grinding and clenching, injury, arthritis, and a number of medical conditions. There currently is no known way of preventing this type of pain from occurring, but St. Paul Dentistry offers many effective pain management options.

We have been successfully treating TMJ longer than anyone in the St. Paul area. You don’t have to live with TMJ headaches and pain, and our non-surgical options provide fast, effective relief. TMJ pain and jaw dysfunction can negatively impact your health and smile in many ways. Our Highland Park, MN Dentist Office takes everything into account when treating TMJ to ensure that you remain pain-free for years to come.