TMD TREATMENTS

TMD stands for �Temporomandibular disorder� and it is a dental condition in which a joint connected to the patient�s jaw bone (temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) becomes inflamed. Because this joint connects the jaw bone to the skull and is used very regularly, the condition is painful and needs treatment if the patient is to carry out normal speech and eating.
There are many causes of TMD, including grinding of the teeth (bruxism) due to stress, muscle dysfunction, arthritis and physical trauma amongst others. This in turn means that there are also several treatments for the condition, some less intrusive than others. If TMD is caused by irregularities in the teeth and as a result in improper bite then treatment will involve dental procedures such as tooth filing, extraction or the administration of dentures to even it out. Sometimes periodontal disease can cause TMD and in these cases courses of the relevant antibiotics, maintaining good oral hygiene and deep cleaning treatments can help.

Secondly and perhaps more in depth, a dental practitioner might investigate the mouth habits of a patient to determine what behaviours are causing the stress upon the joint. Ion the past this was done using x-rays, MRI and CAT scans, but in contemporary dentistry this is not always needed. Simply observing how the patient chews and how much they clench their teeth during the day (and also the night) can indicate that some habits need to be eradicated. If these habits arise from a psychological disorder then the patient will be referred to an expert, perhaps for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to deal with stress. Sometimes jaw guards or �splints� are prescribed for those with chronic tooth grinding at night, to protect the jaw.
Alternatively, if the painful condition is caused by physical trauma in the past or a congenital malformation of the jaw bone then reconstructive surgery may be necessary. This type of surgery is usually carried in a hospital rather than a dentist surgery as the patient will require full anaesthesia and the treatment involves repositioning of the full bone, rather than just the teeth. Surgery is kept as a last resort for individuals suffering from temporomandibular disorder, with dentists and doctors preferring to look into the eating and biting habits of the patient before anything else. Often alongside any TMD treatment a series of exercises and pain medications are prescribed to ease the ill effects and pain.

Zahnimplantate bei Kindern
Panikattacken beim Zahnarzt
Angst vor dem Zahnarzt
Bleaching von Zaehnen
Mundgeruch