TMJ Treatments

TMJ Solutions in Greer, SC

Does your jaw click and pop when you eat hard or chewy foods? Are you suffering from headaches when you wake up in the morning? You may have a temporomandibular joint disorder. Dr. Adam Carraway treats TMJ disorders with restorative dental care in his Greer, SC office. Temporomandibular joint disorders are caused by stress or damage to the temporomandibular joint, a joint that connects the skull to the jawbone. They can lead to painful symptoms affecting the teeth, jaw, and facial structure. Treating TMJ disorders makes their tooth and jaw function normal and comfortable.

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TMJ Treatments

TMJ Solutions
in Greer, SC

Does your jaw click and pop when you eat hard or chewy foods? Are you suffering from headaches when you wake up in the morning? You may have a temporomandibular joint disorder. Dr. Adam Carraway treats TMJ disorders with restorative dental care in his Greer, SC office. Temporomandibular joint disorders are caused by stress or damage to the temporomandibular joint, a joint that connects the skull to the jawbone. They can lead to painful symptoms affecting the teeth, jaw, and facial structure. Treating TMJ disorders makes their tooth and jaw function normal and comfortable.

Schedule an Appointment

About TMJ Disorder

TMJ disorder (TMD) refers to various conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, which connects the jawbone to the skull. Symptoms include pain, difficulty opening and closing the mouth, clicking sounds, locking of the jaw, headaches, and changes in bite. Causes include trauma, arthritis, teeth grinding or clenching, and stress.

TMJ disorder can be caused by a variety of factors, such as trauma, arthritis, grinding or clenching of the teeth, or stress.

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Causes of TMJ

Many different things can contribute to developing a TMJ disorder. One of the most common things is grinding and clenching your teeth, also called bruxism. Doing this frequently strains your jaw joints and the muscles that help your jaw open and close. If you’re under a lot of stress, this becomes more prominent. Arthritis also contributes to breaking down the disc, which allows your jaw joint to move smoothly. Trauma or injury to the face or jaw can change the tracking of the jaw and how the bite comes together.

Typically, an uneven bite can cause TMJ disorders as well. If your bite isn’t coming together perfectly, the pressure isn’t distributed equally. The jaw joint isn’t moving smoothly, either. The longer your bite is uneven, the more worn down and irritated the jaw joint and muscles around it will get.

Correcting your bite with Invisalign or other solutions may be the best way to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse. Invisalign aligners move teeth using clear trays. The aligners must be worn at least 22 hours daily for the best results. Every smile is unique, so it is important to talk to a team member for individual treatment recommendations.

How to Treat TMJ

Patients with mild jaw pain and headaches due to TMJ disorders may react well to gentle treatment. Jaw and facial exercises, as well as therapeutic stress treatment, can reverse TMJ symptoms. Eating soft foods to rest the jaw or using a heating pack on the jaw may help patients with mild TMJ symptoms.

For patients with more moderate forms of TMJ, Dr. Carraway recommends nightguards. Similar to mouthguards, nightguards are customized aligners that protect the teeth. Nightguards keep the teeth from grinding together and wearing down the enamel. They also help position the jaw more comfortably to combat jaw pain. By wearing a nightguard to sleep, patients can stop the headaches, jaw pain, and tooth wear caused by TMJ disorders.

About TMJ Disorder

TMJ disorder (TMD) refers to various conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, which connects the jawbone to the skull. Symptoms include pain, difficulty opening and closing the mouth, clicking sounds, locking of the jaw, headaches, and changes in bite. Causes include trauma, arthritis, teeth grinding or clenching, and stress.

TMJ disorder can be caused by a variety of factors, such as trauma, arthritis, grinding or clenching of the teeth, or stress.

Learn More

Causes of TMJ

Many different things can contribute to developing a TMJ disorder. One of the most common things is grinding and clenching your teeth, also called bruxism. Doing this frequently strains your jaw joints and the muscles that help your jaw open and close. If you’re under a lot of stress, this becomes more prominent. Arthritis also contributes to breaking down the disc, which allows your jaw joint to move smoothly. Trauma or injury to the face or jaw can change the tracking of the jaw and how the bite comes together.

Typically, an uneven bite can cause TMJ disorders as well. If your bite isn’t coming together perfectly, the pressure isn’t distributed equally. The jaw joint isn’t moving smoothly, either. The longer your bite is uneven, the more worn down and irritated the jaw joint and muscles around it will get.

Correcting your bite with Invisalign or other solutions may be the best way to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse. Invisalign aligners move teeth using clear trays. The aligners must be worn at least 22 hours daily for the best results. Every smile is unique, so it is important to talk to a team member for individual treatment recommendations.

How to Treat TMJ

Patients with mild jaw pain and headaches due to TMJ disorders may react well to gentle treatment. Jaw and facial exercises, as well as therapeutic stress treatment, can reverse TMJ symptoms. Eating soft foods to rest the jaw or using a heating pack on the jaw may help patients with mild TMJ symptoms.

For patients with more moderate forms of TMJ, Dr. Carraway recommends nightguards. Similar to mouthguards, nightguards are customized aligners that protect the teeth. Nightguards keep the teeth from grinding together and wearing down the enamel. They also help position the jaw more comfortably to combat jaw pain. By wearing a nightguard to sleep, patients can stop the headaches, jaw pain, and tooth wear caused by TMJ disorders.