What is TMD?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.  Dr. Jia Y. Lee can help his patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.


Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom night guard keeps the jaw in a neutral position during sleep, and this helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 


Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services we provide at the practice, visit www.myranchocucamongadentist.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jia Y. Lee, DDS in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, call 909-989-5598.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teeth Sectioning

Having to get a tooth removed can be scarier than swimming in shark-infested waters. That’s why Dr. Jia Y. Lee offers Teeth Sectioning services. This form of extraction is faster and easier. Your Rancho Cucamonga dentist breaks the tooth into multiple sections. The fragmented pieces are then easier to remove. The entire procedure requires less force, resulting in a quicker recovery time. To learn more, contact your local dentist.   Dr. Lee recommends teeth sectioning for a few different reasons. Certain teeth upon closer inspection are unique or multi-rooted. This can make it impossible to extract normally. Patients in need of having their wisdom teeth removed are another common source. Wisdom teeth are larger by nature. It’s difficult to remove them, especially if they’re impacted. Lastly, pediatric patients frequently undergo teeth sectioning. It’s less intimidating and painful for children.   The procedure begins with Dr. Lee applying a local anesthetic to the area. For certain pati
Read more

Causes of Gap Teeth

As an orthodontic provider, we at Dr. Jia Lee’s Rancho Cucamonga dental office have fixed a lot of gap teeth. Diastema, as they’re commonly known, are the gaps between teeth, and the one between the upper central incisors is a frequent cause of embarrassment and distress. But the exact treatment for them may differ according to their cause. One of the benefits of being both a general dental and an orthodontic office is that we can provide veneers. If the teeth are otherwise in line but the gap in front is just slightly too large, new fronts for the teeth can be used to close it. This might also be an attractive option if the teeth are chipped or scarred. If the teeth are generally jumbled, a gap can be corrected in the course of orthodontic treatment. But if they are being pushed apart by something, treatment may not last unless behavior like tongue thrusting and thumb sucking stops. Assistance from a psychologist or an ear-nose-and-throat doctor may be required to stop involuntary ton
Read more

Bruxism

Do you ever wake up from a night’s sleep with sore teeth and jaws? You could be grinding your teeth. The medical term for occasional teeth grinding is called bruxism and although this condition does not usually cause harm, when teeth grinding occurs on a regular basis the teeth can be damaged and other oral health complications can arise. At the practice of Dr. Jia Y. Lee, DDS we offer night guards to prevent this from happening and to provide you with relief. Stress, anxiety, smoking, heavy alcohol, caffeine, depression and sleep disorders are all possible causes of teeth grinding. Treatment for teeth grinding depends on the cause. In some cases, chronic teeth grinding can result in fracturing, loosening or loss of teeth. The purpose of a night guard is to protect your teeth and jaws. If you require a night guard, Dr. Jia Y. Lee, DDS, will custom make one just for you. If you have questions or concerns regarding bruxism, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided
Read more