OCCLUSAL SPLINT FOR TMJ PAIN
Pain in one or both of your jaw joints? Earaches? Pain when you chew? Stiffness and pain in your face and neck? If you suffer from TMJ disorder, or temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), you already know how painful it can be when your temporomandibular joint gets out of line.
Many people suffer from TMD. The most common cause is when the cartilage slips out of place in the joint. Other causes include injuries or dislocations of the jaw, teeth misalignment, arthritis, and grinding your teeth.
Luckily, a simple apparatus called an occlusal splint can really help.
An occlusal splint is a bit like a mouth guard. It’s a smooth plastic form that fits over your teeth to enable your jaw to close on an even surface. Once the jaw is aligned in the correct position, you may start to feel relief from the pain. Generally, we recommend people to wear their occlusal splint at nighttime, to reduce wear and tear on the teeth when clenching or grinding can be at its most problematic.What can I expect?
During your appointment, we’ll look carefully at your jaw to see if there are signs of irritation or inflammation, and to see how it moves in any direction. We’ll talk about your symptoms, and their severity, to see if an occlusal splint is appropriate for your condition.
If it is, we will make the occlusal splint by taking an impression of your teeth, so that we can mold the perfect fit.
Occlusal splints generally need to be adjusted a few weeks after your first visit, because your jaw joints will start to relax back into a stable position, shifting the shape of your bite.