If your TMJ treatment requires more extensive procedures, our dentist at Who Does Your Teeth can provide and recommend other doctors to perform orthodontic corrective therapy in Henrico, Virginia. These treatments help align your jaw and mouth, thus preventing your mouth from overworking and causing pain. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Neal, and to discuss any questions or concerns you may have, please contact us today at 804-447-1435.
Most people think of orthodontics as treating your teeth to create a straight, aligned smile. However, orthodontics is concerned with more than just your teeth. Part of orthodontics deals with your jaw’s alignment, as well as the connected ligaments and muscles. If you suffer from TMJ, it may be caused by more than just bruxism (teeth clenching or grinding), injury, or arthritis. Oftentimes, TMJ is due to the temporomandibular joint and muscles being stressed and overworked. This happens when your bite is not properly aligned.
In most cases, people think of an aligned smile as one in which the teeth in both the upper and lower arches are lined up and simply look good. However, even if your smile looks aligned, it may not be. Having your bite properly aligned means that your upper and lower teeth fit together in a comfortable way when you close your bite. If your bite is not aligned—even if it may look good—your muscles and jaw joints can overwork and overcompensate to get your teeth in the right positon, thus causing your TMJ.
When you receive orthodontic correction for TMJ, our dentist will recommend a trusted specialist who will carefully evaluate your bite and provide a personalized treatment plan to align your bite to the proper relationship between jaw joints, muscles, and teeth. If you have questions or would like additional information, we welcome you to contact our practice today.