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Help for TMJ in Chapel Hill

added on: February 21, 2013

You may be so used to it, that you almost forget about it—pain in your neck, stiffness and soreness in your jaw, tension that seems a permanent part of your head, neck, and shoulders.

It’s possible that you’re suffering from TMD/TMJ in Chapel Hill, or temporomandibular joint disorder if you’ve experienced any of these symptoms for an extended period of time:

  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Neck, shoulder or back pain
  • Facial pain
  • Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
  • Limited movement or locking jaw
  • Unexplained loose, worn, or cracked teeth
  • Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
  • Congestion or stuffiness of the ears

TMD is the result of malocclusion, or a misaligned bite. Diagnosing and treating TMD are highly specialized areas of modern dentistry that require extensive continuing education. Dr. Saib believes that you never stop being a student, and he continues to study at facilities such as the Pankey Institute for all the dental services he offers, including for treating TMD.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the TMJ Association both recommend that “Less is Best” when treating TMJ. Dr. Saib follows this principle with a conservative and gentle therapy. He uses splint therapy to help reposition the muscles, joint and teeth so that they’re working together, without pain. Splint therapy is an oral appliance that can be positioned to several all of your teeth to gradually and gently realign the problem teeth.

If we’ve described your pain and symptoms in this article, relief can begin with a call to Chapel Hill Advanced Dentistry at 919.933.3388.

 

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