What is TMD?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.  Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS can help patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.

Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom TMJ splint helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 

Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services we provide at the practice, visit www.dentistnj.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dipika Shah DDS, here in our Holmdel, NJ office, call 732-264-8180. 

Help with TMD Pain

Pain and stiffness from TMD can cause major frustration. It can be difficult to understand, especially when first diagnosed. Dipika Shah, DDS of Holmdel, NJ can treat TMD to get you back to feeling like yourself.

Some of the things you can do at home when you are in pain. Eat soft diet, do not open your mouth to the point where it hurts, limit your jaw movement, Move your jaw side to side gently,do this until you begin to feel your jaw and facial muscles release and relax. Aplly warm moist heat in the front of your ears every 15-20 minutes on and off, walk staright with head aligned with your spine. 

If any of these suggestions begin to make your symptoms worse, do not continue with them. To set up your appointment with  Dipika Shah, DDS in our Holmdel, NJ dental practice, call our office at (732) 264-8180 or visit our website, www.dentistnj.com. 

Foods to Avoid with TMJ Pain

When dealing with the pain and irritation of TMJ dysfunction, it is nice to know ways to avoid a flare-up. Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS of Holmdel, NJ treats patients with TMJ pain and wants them to know about certain types of foods that can lead to pain. Keep reading to learn about the foods to avoid and how you can make eating easier on your jaw.

It should not be too big of a surprise that hard and crunchy foods are more difficult for the jaw to chew through than softer foods. Because of the force the jaw needs to exert to bite through them, hard and crunchy foods can irritate the TMJs and lead to pain. Try to stay away from crunchy foods like popcorn and chips. Examples of harder foods are raw veggies. Vegetables are still important for your nutrition, though, so you should cook them so they are soft and easier to eat.

Another type of food which may not be as obvious of an irritant is chewy food. Caramels, chewing gum, and even tougher cuts of meat take much more chewing than most foods. The constant chewing motion can easily cause a TMJ flare-up. Stick to tender cuts of meat. If you want seafood, stick to fish rather than shellfish. You will also want to stay away from chewy candies. If you use gum to freshen your breath, try mints instead.

If you are experiencing frequent pain in your jaw or clicking when you open your mouth, schedule an appointment to see Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS. Appointments may be made by calling our Holmdel, NJ office at (732) 264-8180 or by visiting our website, www.dentistnj.com. 

TMJ Disorder Solutions

The pain from TMJ disorder can alter the way one lives. While it may seem like a vicious cycle, there are effective treatments for TMJ disorder. Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS helps many of her patients in our Holmdel, NJ dental practice through the pain and frustration TMJ disorder brings.

The TMJs (temporomandibular joints) are the joints that allow your jaw to move. They are located just in front of the ears, and you can feel them if you place your hand over the area and open your mouth. TMJ disorder occurs when the joints become dysfunctional. They may be tender, swollen, painful, and may click when you open and shut your mouth. It can even cause the mouth to become locked open or shut.

Dr. Shah offers night guards and TMJ splints to our patients suffering from TMJ disorder or those who clench their teeth at night. Clenching and grinding teeth at night can sometimes be the cause of TMJ disorder and it always makes the condition worse. The night guard is made to protect your teeth and cushion your jaw during clenching. You may wear it only at night or throughout the whole day. TMJ splints will be used as Dr. Shah finds it necessary.

It is important to come in for an examination if you are experiencing TMJ pain. Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS can offer a solution here in our Holmdel, NJ office. To schedule, call us at (732) 264-8180 or visit our website, www.dentistnj.com. 

TMJ Disorders

TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your mandible (lower jaw) to your skull at the temporal bone. While many call disorders associated with this joint, TMJ, those disorder are more appropriately called TMD (temporomandibular disorder), and TMD can have symptoms that range from teeth grinding and headaches to trouble chewing and pain when opening and closing your mouth. TMD not only an annoying disorder; it is also a destructive one and can cause serious damage to your teeth if left untreated, and Dr. Dipika Shah can determine if you suffer from TMD and offer ways to treat the disorder.

The TMJ controls an assortment of jaw functions, including chewing, sowhen you’re chewing and muscles or the joint itself is in pain, it is possible that you have TMD. TMD is often caused by stress, which leads to unconscious clenching and teeth grinding while awake and asleep. TMD’s symptoms include pain, trouble chewing, lock jaw, headaches or ear pain and a popping or clicking sound when opening your mouth. However, these symptoms may be indicative of other health problems as well, so it is important to talk to your dentist.

Grinding your teeth is an especially worrisome TMD-associated behavior since it can lead to further problems with your mouth. If your teeth grinding is left unaddressed, you will cause serious wear to the enamel of your teeth and expose the dentin, which will make your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold and more susceptible to decay. However, you can work with Dr. Shah to relieve symptoms with mouthguard or TMJ splint..

If you think that you might be suffering from TMD or teeth grinding in Holmdel, NJ, schedule an appointment with our office by calling 732-264-8180. For more information, visit www.dentistnj.com.