TMJ Treatment

Milpitas Dentist, Dr. Peter Yu

knows that TMJ treatment can help you to enjoy life without pain, once again! Are you someone who suffers from headaches, jaw aches, pain in the muscles of the face or neck or popping or crunching noises in the jaw? Then you, along with many others we treat, may be suffering from the results of occlusal misalignment. TMJ Treatment begins with a complete diagnosis by an experienced dentist.

Proper Alignment for Comfort and Health

Proper alignment involves anterior guidance; which means front teeth are supposed to guide the function of your jaw. When there is misalignment and the jaw moves forward, the back teeth can't make the proper contact. If the molars are making contact in any other position than the "center", it creates interference to the healthy function of the jaw and teeth. The jaw is wired in such a way that when you are biting in the center, anything that is touching other than the center will produce harmful grinding and wear.

The last molar in the jaw is closest to the hinge and bites with 900 lbs per square inch of force, front teeth are only 100 lbs per square in. However, for patients who have worn out front teeth, or somehow don't have the proper function of their front teeth, the back molars are always hitting and you will wind up clenching your teeth all the time because there is no way to relax the bite pressure.

As a result the molars will be worn down and you will experience pain in your teeth, jaw and neck. If your teeth are very strong they may wear just a little, but if teeth are weak they will crack. If the gum is weak the tooth will loosen and shift its position. If the jaw is weak you will experience cracking and popping. Whichever is the weakest spot will have the most problem.

A Thorough Exam Leads to Effective Solutions

We will give you a thorough exam, checking the mobility and function of the teeth and jaw and find out where you are experiencing any issues. We may need to rebuild your front teeth so that proper guidance is restored for the bite to be centered and functioning properly. We can also provide an occlusal or bite guard to help prevent any wearing of the teeth.

Restoring the healthy function of your bite and jaw is vital before we proceed with any restorative or cosmetic dentistry work. Once we have restored a healthy and optimum functioning environment, then you will be able to enjoy the results of any restorative or cosmetic procedures for a lifetime.

Please call us at Optimum Dental Care to learn more about how cosmetic dentist, Peter Yu uses TMJ treatment to restore the health and beauty of your smile - by restoring a healthy environment.