TMJ/TMD Therapy – Arlington Heights, IL

Symptoms & Diagnoses

An accurate diagnosis is the first step to repairing damage and renewing jaw mobility. Our team will look for warning signs of TMJ dysfunction during every six-month appointment, but please let your dentist or one of our team members know right away if you notice any of the following:

TMD symptoms:

• Pain when moving the jaw
• Clicking or grinding sound when moving the jaw
• Limited mobility or inability to open the mouth (lock jaw)
• Swelling in the jaw
• Chronic radiating head, neck, shoulder, or back pains
• Earaches or ringing in the ears

Treatment Options

At Westgate Dental Care, we offer a wide array of treatment options to help patients relieve pain and renew the full function of the jaw. We may include any combination of medication, stretching, and oral appliance therapy. Anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed or over the counter medications recommended to reduce swelling and discomfort. Additionally, patients may need to follow a daily jaw stretching routine to help adjust the way the jaw moves and reestablish healthy function. Additionally, we may recommend a custom daytime and/or nighttime oral appliance that holds the jaw in its most comfortable position and limits unnecessary movements that may strain or damage the TMJ. If these basic treatments are ineffective, we may need to partner with a local neuromuscular specialist, orthodontist, or oral surgeon to provide more advanced treatment solutions.