TMJ Dentist El Dorado Hills, CA

Are you looking for a TMJ dentist in El Dorado Hills? If so, we invite you to schedule a consultation with our dental office by calling (916) 233-0910. We are located in El Dorado Hills and treat patients throughout the El Dorado Hills area. During your first appointment, we will conduct a gentle examination and ask questions in order to understand the full extent of your symptoms and how they are impacting you on a daily basis. It is critical that you see a dentist that appreciates the nature of TMJ and the need for caution during dental care. Otherwise, you could further irritate your jaw and muscles, leading to further discomfort.

TMJ TREATMENTS

TMJ stands for temporal-mandibular joint. Temporal, as in temple area of skull; mandibular as in mandible, or lower jaw; joint as in it’s where the head and jaw meet. Problems in this joint may be caused by a misalignment of the teeth, trauma, or excess muscle tension. Aside from the two bones that meet there, cartilage buffers them and five muscles are involved in the area. If something goes wrong a good deal of trouble can result.

Problems in this area can cause:

• Headaches
• Earaches
• Trouble/soreness in opening and closing the mouth
• Clicking or popping of the jaw
• Pain in the jaw muscles
• Soreness in the area, sometimes extending to the face

Dental treatments for the condition can include replacing missing teeth, moving teeth, adjusting the bite, filling gaps between teeth, etc. There is no one solution that is right for all cases. Sometimes a plastic mouthpiece is used to prevent clenching or grinding that is contributing to the problem. If untreated and taken to extremes, surgery may be required to repair a badly damaged joint.

Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ disorders) are fairly common and can manifest in various ways. There are two temporomandibular joints in your body – one on each side of your head, located in front of your ears. TMJ, as a condition, develops when there is a problem with these joints as they connect the jawbone to the skull, or there are problems with the muscles responsible for chewing. As a TMJ dentist, we find that many people suffer from the condition without knowing that they have it and are, therefore, unable to seek treatment. As a result, we recommend that if you notice any of the symptoms, you call our office at 916-233-0910 to schedule an examination to ascertain whether you do indeed have TMJ.

Symptoms of TMJ
TMJ disorder will often manifest itself in ways that appear to be unconnected to the jaw. This may include severe headaches or ear, neck, and face pain. While many people attribute these symptoms to stress or issues with their spine, they are often a result of this condition and can be easily rectified. Other more obvious symptoms include difficulty chewing or biting down, a popping or clicking sound when opening and closing the jaw, and jaw pain. In some cases, TMJ becomes so bad that a person can’t even open their mouth. This is the extreme, and there are almost always signs along the way. By the time people reach this point they have typically been experiencing discomfort in the mornings or throughout the day, difficulty chewing and a lack of mobility with their jaw in general. As a TMJ dentist, we treat patients that have this condition and recommend coming in at the first sign of irritation so that you can begin treatment before it becomes severe.

Causes of TMJ
There are several causes of TMJ with many theories yet to be proven. Some claim that posture can be responsible for TMJ as can poor diet, a lack of sleep, and the cartilage disk found at the joint itself. As a TMJ dentist, we find that one of the most common causes of TMJ is clenching or grinding teeth at night. During times of high-stress, many people fail to have a restful nights sleep and take out their frustration by inadvertently clenching their jaw closed or grinding down their teeth while sleeping. This can manifest very early in life, with children even being impacted by teeth grinding. When this takes place, the muscles and joints are forced to remain in a tense position, leading to pain in the joints and muscles the following morning. If this happens only occasionally, you may have a minor headache and feel better the next day. If, however, this is occurring on a nightly basis, TMJ symptoms can begin to manifest and you will begin to feel less and less comfortable. You may want to pay particular attention to whether or not you have a headache or jaw pain after having a stressful day at work or being upset about something. If there is no correlation and the pain is consistent, you should seek treatment immediately by calling (916) 233-0910. Alternatively, if your discomfort it only now and then, you can bring up your concerns at your next dental examination in our office – as long as it is within the next several months.

Treatment Options
As a TMJ dentist, we always recommend starting with the least invasive treatment method. It is important to avoid placing any additional stress on your joints so while it may seem tempting to rush into surgical procedures – wait. Start with gently massaging your jaw muscles a couple of times per day. We can show you how to do so without irritating the area or causing a flair up. You may also want to analyze your diet to determine if any particular foods may be too difficult to chew, thereby making the problem worse. At Scott Dexter, DDS, we often find that patients are increasing their jaw problems by regularly eating foods like tough meat and nuts that require more forceful chewing, placing stress on the muscles and jaw. By switching to soft foods or ones that are easily pulled apart, you may start to feel better immediately.

In our TMJ dentist office, we provide a non-invasive solution for helping patients to feel better. Since TMJ is often caused by teeth grinding or clenching, preventing the upper and lower teeth from touching is a fast way to experience relief. In our office, we can make an impression of your teeth and use it to create a custom night guard for you to wear while sleeping. The night guard is made of a clear and comfortable plastic that surrounds your upper and lower teeth, similar to how a full retainer would function. The main difference is that the upper and lower portion attach and by doing so, prevent your teeth from touching and your jaw from clenching. Very often, our patients report feeling better immediately and every night that you sleep without grinding your teeth, you have the opportunity to increase the quality of your rest and wake up feeling energized – a win/win scenario. Since the night guard is small, easily removed and stored, there are no clunky devices to worry about and you can take it with you when traveling.

As a TMJ dentist, we speak with patients that have visited medical providers in California that have recommended solving the problem surgically. At Scott Dexter, DDS, we invite you to schedule an appointment to have your night guard created so that you can exhaust all options before considering escalating your treatment. Surgery is not something to be taken lightly and should only be performed as a last result. To further discuss our non-invasive solution, call 916-233-0910 to speak with one of our team members today.

Helpful Related Links

• American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Terms. 2015
• American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® (AACD). Home Page. 2015
• WebMD. WebMD’s Oral Care Guide. 2015

About our business, license, and website security

• Scott Dexter, DDS was established in 1991
• We accept the following payment methods: Cash, Check, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa
• We serve patients from the following counties: El Dorado County & Sacramento County
• We serve patients from the following cities: El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Cameron Park, Rescue


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