How do you know if you have a problem with your TMJ? (This is commonly known as TMD, or Temporo-Mandibular Dysfunction) Symptoms could include:
- Jaw Pain
- Headaches
- Noice coming from the joint, including clicking or popping
- Pain in the ear
- Pain in the face
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Pain or spasm in the neck or shoulder muscles
- Shortened teeth from grinding
- Inability to open very wide
- A change in your bite
Drug-induced TMD:
In the last few years, research has shown that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and Celexa may cause clenching and grinding of the teeth in patients who have never done this before and will increase these behaviors (both frequency and intensity) in those known to clench or grind their teeth.
This side effect is relatively unknown to physicians, although we continue to educate them when we can. If your jaw pain / headache symptoms started a few weeks to a month or two after you started taking one of these medications, we would suggest you alert your physician to this, as the symptoms could well be related to the drugs.
Treatment in our office could include:
- Splint Therapy
- TENS therapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
- Orthotic
Neuromuscular Dentistry can help alleviate symptoms such as headaches, neck and shoulder pain, jaw pain, clicking or popping in the jaw, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The majority of North Americans suffer from one or more of these symptoms, and unfortunately in many cases these patients’ symptoms are either misdiagnosed or dismissed as having no physiological cause. In a number of cases, these symptoms can actually be attributed to TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome), also referred to as TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) or MPD (myofascial pain dysfunction).