Miami and Coral Gables, FL
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is more than just a mouthful to say. If you suffer from this ailment, it can have a major impact on your oral health and your overall well-being, often causing severe and chronic pain. Luckily, there is help available. At Miami Designer Smiles, your dentists Dr. Raul Garcia and Dr. Conchi Sanchez-Garcia both are trained in neuromuscular dentistry, a specialization of the field that makes them experts in identifying and treating TMJ disorder. Let’s take a deeper look at the importance of neuromuscular dentistry for people suffering from TMJ disorder in Miami.
Know the warning signs of TMJ disorder
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates that more than 10 million Americans are living with TMJ disorder. This figure is simply just an estimate because unfortunately, many people with this disorder never seek diagnosis or treatment. This means they live with TMJ disorder and the corresponding effects without ever finding lasting relief.
If you have TMJ disorder, it affects the jaws and their ability to function—even open and close properly. From there, the dysfunction in your temporomandibular joint often affects the surrounding musculature and soft tissues. In many cases, a person with TMJ disorder suffers from significant pain, whether it be in the jaws, the mouth, the face, or even the neck, shoulders, and back. You also may experience frequent headaches, especially first thing in the morning, which may have been misdiagnosed as migraines.
Here is a list of many of the common symptoms of TMJ disorder.
Here’s how a neuromuscular dentist can help
Becoming a neuromuscular dentist is not easy. It takes many hours of post-graduate training and education. This prepares a neuromuscular dentist to treat all of the hard and soft tissues in your mouth, including the temporomandibular joints, the jaws, and the alignment of your bite. Our dentists have studied neuromuscular dentistry at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute, which is considered the pre-eminent location to pursue post-graduate dental education for cosmetic, and neuromuscular dentistry, as well as airway management. In short, a neuromuscular dentist is the best qualified medical professional to identify and treat TMJ disorder correctly.
Untreated TMJ disorder can have consequences
Make no mistake … TMJ disorder is a serious medical condition. Ignoring it, or just waiting for it to go away on its own, is one of the worst decisions that you can make. Not taking action will allow your case of TMJ disorder to progress, also magnifying the potential problems you might experience throughout your body. Instead, you should be screened by a neuromuscular dentist like the ones at Miami Designer Smiles.
The long-term ramifications of untreated TMJ disorder can be dire. You could end up losing teeth, or having your teeth crack or break. You may lose jaw function and have trouble even opening your jaws. Your pain could become debilitating, hindering your lifestyle, and your general ability to function.
You don’t have to live with any of that. Your TMJ disorder is treatable. If you are experiencing the symptoms of this disorder, or you have been diagnosed with the ailment by another medical practitioner, Miami Designer Smiles can help. Call our office at (305) 595-4616 to schedule a consultation today if you live in the areas of Miami and Coral Gables in south Florida.