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TMD and TMJ

We Offer Solutions For TMD and TMJ

Pain or Poor Function
in the Jaw Joint?

Dr. Riley can help you relieve jaw pain, protect teeth from further damage and correct underlying
bite misalignment.

Temporomandibular disorders are a group of problems that cause pain and poor function in the jaw joint and the muscles responsible for jaw movement. They’re also called TMD, or TMJ (short for temporomandibular joint) disorders.

You may spend most of your life unaware of the important little triangular-shaped joints located in front of your ears. Lined with cartilage, these joints move with a smooth, gliding motion. Under normal conditions, they join your lower jaw and temporal bone, allowing your mouth to open and close easily. However, stress or an improper bite can cause the joints to dysfunction, exposing nerve endings to create pain. In fact, the temporomandibular joint is highly sensitive to overall physical, emotional, and psychological stress. It is affected by the mechanics of your bite and the condition of your jaw muscles.

A little extra stress, a little extra fatigue, a little change in your bite, and you may temporarily knock the whole system out of balance. The resulting TMJ disorder, or TMD, can create a variety of mild to severe symptoms, from jaw clicking and minor discomfort to sharp pain in your temple, ear, neck, and shoulders.

Our goals are to relieve pain, protect teeth from further damage and correct underlying bite misalignment. Therapy may involve fitting you with a physio-logic bite appliance, suggesting ways to alleviate stress, and recommending symptom relief measures. We can bill medical insurance for these services. We are also Medicare providers.