TMJ Treatment In Mandeville, La

The lower jawbone is connected to the skull via the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It moves like a sliding hinge and gets frequently used as you chew, swallow, speak, and yawn. When there is anything wrong with this joint, as when you suffer from a temporomandibular disorder (TMD), there can be a lot of pain in the joint as well as in the muscles that control jaw movement. At Beau Sourire Family Dentistry in Mandeville, LA, we can help alleviate that pain with our TMJ treatment. Schedule your TMJ treatment in Mandeville, LA today!

TMJ Treatment Mandeville

Considering TMJ treatment in Mandeville, LA? One common treatment for TMD is splint therapy. You may already be familiar with splints as they are also known as a “mouth guard,” “bite appliance,” or “night guard” and are used in sports and to treat some conditions, such as sleep apnea. Splints are made of plastic and can be hard or soft. They are highly customizable – they can cover all of the teeth or just a few and can be worn on the top or bottom depending on the patient’s needs and the preferences of the dentist.

About Our Mandeville TMJ Splints

There are a few reasons why splint therapy helps with jaw pain due to TMJ disorders.

• Splints help to relax the muscles and ligaments, getting rid of the tension and tightness in facial muscles that comes from bruxism.
• Splints also protect the teeth from wearing down if there is grinding. This prevents pain as well as sensitivity and jagged edges.
• If a patient’s bite is not aligned correctly for his or her jaw joints, a splint can help to adjust it to a different position that allows the muscles to rest.

Types of TMJ Splints

• Stabilization splints: cover all of the teeth and prevent clenching and/or bruxism; can be made of hard or soft materials.
• Repositioning splints: usually worn 24 hours a day to pull the lower (mandible) jaw forward.