Providing Better Smiles to Calgary & nearby areas of Alberta
The only thing that holds your lower jaw on your head ,other than the skin on your face, are muscles,ligaments and tendons. Together they act like two elastic bands on each side of the head , which are in constant motion, either opening or closing in some very complex moves. Temperomandiblaur dysfunction occurs when this complex is out of balance. The imbalance can create painful trigger points in the muscles of the head. The pain can be episodic, it can be mild or severe. These muscle and tendons can help in diagnosis of TMJ
Do you have TMJ? Here are a couple of ways to self check your:
If your pain is from the temple on the side of your head, push on the area behind the eye and in front of the top of the ear and then bite down. If it hurts when you press then you are pressing on a trigger point. While maintaining the pressure you will feel the rest of temporalis muscle. If you press on this muscle and feel pain these are more trigger points.
If your pain comes from the cheeks, clench your teeth together. You will feel a band of tight muscle. Press on the muscle just below the cheek bone. If it is tender or hurts then that is another trigger point.
These trigger points are often a sign of TMJ. Ofcourse there are many more such as in your neck, forehead and under your chin, If you feel these trigger points and pain you may have TMJ. For a complimentary consultation call Dr. Silver or e-mail him on our contact page.
