Do you suffer from headaches, facial and upper body pain? Do you have ringing in your ears or numbness in your fingers? Do you regularly take over-the-counter painkillers, like Tylenol or Ibuprofen?

Chronic pain is not normal, and neither is taking daily doses of pain medications. But you should know that you are not alone.

In the USA, about 45 million people report having regular headaches. Many suffer the debilitating pain of these chronic problems, never associating them with their mouths! We have found that these headaches and upper body pains are frequently linked to temporomandibular joint disease (also known as TMD or TMJ).

Through TMJ treatment, Dr. Liss can help relieve chronic pain.

Symptoms of TMJ Dysfunction

There is a direct relationship between oral health and chronic pain. Three important factors affect TMJ health — the teeth, the muscles, and the temporomandibular joints. People who suffer from TMJ dysfunction have a structural imbalance in their jaw-to-skull relationship.

If you suffer from any of the following symptoms, you may be a candidate for TMJ treatment:

• Headaches or migraines
• Unexplained loose teeth
• Worn, chipped, or cracked teeth
• Cracked, chipped or broken dental restorations
• Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
• Pain in teeth that seems to move around
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Facial pain
• Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
• Limited movement or locking jaw
• Numbness in your fingers and arms
• Congestion or stuffiness of the ears

Diagnosis

The first step in diagnosing TMJ is a thorough interview with the patient. Dr. Liss listens to your concerns then does a complete evaluation of your bite, examining the teeth, muscles, and joints.

If he finds evidence of malocclusion (a poorly aligned bite), he will recommend conservative, non-surgical treatment to return your bite to an optimal, functional position.

Treatment Options

To correct your bite and eliminate your TMJ pain, Dr. Liss may use splint therapy or restorative dentistry to adjust the position of your jaw and relieve any stress on the surrounding muscles and joints.