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TMJ/TMD

We are committed to helping you alleviate your symptoms
TMJ/TMD Services
Our team at the Dreamwell Center in Panama City Beach & Santa Rosa Beach, Florida specialize in helping with issues like TMJ & TMD. We offer solutions for these conditions that are often responsible for symptoms like headaches and facial pain. Our qualified, experienced, and compassionate professionals are committed to helping you alleviate your TMJ & TMD symptoms and improve your quality of life.

You may be asking how sleep apnea treatment can help with symptoms associated with TMJ. Before we answer that, it’s important you have a good understanding of what TMJ & TMD are so you can see how it affects you.
What is TMJ?
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your jawbone to your skull. There are two TMJs, one on each side of your jaw, located just in front of your ears. These joints allow you to move your jaw up and down and side to side, enabling you to talk, chew, and yawn.

TMJ disorders (often referred to as TMD or TMJD) are conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, the muscles surrounding it, and the nerves associated with chronic facial pain. These disorders can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

  • Pain or tenderness in your jaw.
  • Pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints.
  • Aching pain in and around your ear.
  • Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing.
  • Aching facial pain.
  • Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth.

The exact cause of TMJ disorders can be hard to determine. It can be due to a combination of factors, including:

Injury to the jaw or head.

  • Arthritis.
  • Jaw alignment issues.
  • Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism).
  • Connective tissue diseases.
What Is TMD?
TMD stands for temporomandibular disorders, which are a group of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), the muscles that control jaw movement, and the nerves associated with chronic facial pain. These disorders can cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement.

Symptoms of TMD

  • Pain or tenderness in the jaw, face, neck, or shoulders.
  • Difficulty chewing or discomfort while chewing.
  • Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth.
  • Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close the mouth.
  • Headaches or earaches.
  • Swelling on the side of the face.

Causes of TMD

The exact causes of TMD are often unclear, but several factors may contribute, including:

  • Jaw injury: Trauma to the jaw or head.
  • Arthritis: Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ.
  • Jaw alignment issues: Misalignment of the teeth or jaw.
  • Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism).
  • Stress: Leading to tightening of facial and jaw muscles.
  • Connective tissue diseases: Such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Do you think you may be suffering from TMJ or TMD?
We are committed to helping you alleviate your symptoms!
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What's the difference between TMJ and TMD?
The main differences between the two are:

TMJ (Joint):

  • Refers specifically to the joint itself.
  • An anatomical term.

TMD (Disorder):

  • Refers to the disorders and conditions affecting the TMJ and related muscles.
  • A clinical term describing a range of issues causing pain, dysfunction, and discomfort.

In summary, TMJ is the name of the joint, while TMD refers to a variety of disorders that affect this joint and the surrounding structures. People often use "TMJ" to refer to issues with the joint, but the correct term for such conditions is TMD.

How does Sleep Apnea Treatment help with TMJ or TMD?
Sleep apnea treatment with Dreamwell Center can help with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorder in several ways, primarily by addressing the underlying issues that worsen TMJ symptoms. Here’s how:
Improved Sleep Quality
  • Reduction of Bruxism: Sleep apnea often leads to bruxism (teeth grinding), which can strain the TMJ. Treating sleep apnea can reduce or eliminate bruxism, thereby alleviating TMJ pain.

  • Less Jaw Clenching: Poor sleep quality from sleep apnea can cause people to clench their jaws more frequently. By improving sleep quality, the frequency and intensity of jaw clenching can decrease, reducing TMJ strain.
Reduced Inflammation and Pain
  • Lower Stress Levels: Better sleep can reduce overall stress levels, which in turn can lower muscle tension in the jaw area, reducing TMJ discomfort.

  • Decreased Inflammation: Improved sleep helps the body reduce systemic inflammation, including in the TMJ region, potentially decreasing pain and swelling.
Improved Oxygenation
  • Enhanced Tissue Health: Treating sleep apnea improves oxygenation throughout the body, which can promote healing and reduce inflammation in the TMJ.
Better Alignment and Function
  • Proper Jaw Positioning: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy or oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea can sometimes help in maintaining proper jaw alignment during sleep, reducing TMJ strain.

  • Orthotic Devices: Some sleep apnea treatments involve the use of oral appliances that can also help in repositioning the jaw in a way that alleviates TMJ symptoms.
Decreased Daytime Fatigue
  • Reduced Daytime Jaw Clenching: Daytime fatigue from poor sleep can lead to increased jaw clenching as a subconscious effort to stay awake and alert. By treating sleep apnea, daytime fatigue is reduced, which can decrease daytime jaw clenching and its impact on the TMJ.
Holistic Health Improvements
  • General Health: Treating sleep apnea can improve overall health and reduce comorbidities that might contribute to TMJ issues, such as chronic pain conditions, anxiety, and depression.
By addressing sleep apnea, many of the contributing factors to TMJ disorder, like jaw clenching, inflammation, and poor sleep quality, can be mitigated, leading to an overall reduction in TMJ symptoms.

Our team of professionals has expertise in sleep medicine and dental fields, so we can optimize treatment outcomes for our patients. When you visit us for treatment, we begin with a thorough examination of your situation. We listen to your symptoms and ask about your health history to understand more about your condition. We will also evaluate your temporomandibular joint and related muscles to establish the root cause of your problem.

You can expect a bite exam, as well as a visual inspection during your assessment. We also use x-rays and other state of the art technologies to check for issues like fractures and dislocations that may be causing discomfort. Once we are sure of the cause of your symptoms, we can create the right treatment plan for you.

Dreamwell Center in Panama City Beach and Santa Rosa Beach focuses on delivering personalized solutions and positive experiences during your treatment. We offer effective treatments for TMD & TMJ that aim to provide long-term relief for your symptoms and put you on the path to recovery.

If you struggle with head and facial pain, ear pain, sore jaw muscles, or other symptoms of TMJ disorders, our specialists at Dreamwell Center can help.

We provide comprehensive treatments for TMJ disorder to help you achieve as comfortable and pain-free a life as possible. We can't wait to help you get back on track! Get in touch with us today to schedule your appointment.

Contact us Today!
Panama City
  • 900 Thomas Drive, Suite B
    Panama City Beach, FL 32408
  • Mon-Fri: 8 am–5 pm
    Sat-Sun: Closed
  • (850) 312-1850
Santa Rosa Beach
  • 6757 US-98 Suite 302
    Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
  • Mon-Fri: 9 am–5 pm
    Sat-Sun: Closed
  • (850) 608-1850
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