TMJ/TMD Headache Relief – Randolph, NJ

What is TMJ?

The TMJ (jaw joint) is a joint like any other in your body. Every joint in the body has a specific range of motion, e.g. bend your arm - straighten out your arm, and then flex your arm. You cannot bend your arm backwards, or sideways. The joint would have to be forced into that position (as in cases of severe trauma due to bodily injury due to severe trauma) bringing with it severe pain. The TMJ is no different. If all of your teeth are in perfect alignment (which is rare), when you clench your teeth, your joint will be in the correct position. If your teeth are misaligned, clenching will force your joint into an unnatural position.

Equilibration

Most patients have never heard of this service, but we feel this is one of the most valuable services we perform. Oftentimes, the teeth on the upper and lower jaw do not meet correctly and cause shifting of the jaw on closure. If this occurs for a period of time, it can cause the jaw joint to permanently shift out of place, teeth to break or loosen, headaches, migraines, along with face and neck pain – just to name a few of the ailments that can arise from what is known as malocclusion.

By simply reshaping the surface of the teeth (often times less than a millimeter), we can significantly and profoundly improve the quality of a patient’s life that had been formerly riddled with pain and discomfort. Many times, patients don’t even realize they have a problem until we eliminate it.

TMJ Therapy in Dentistry

This subject is one of the least understood concepts in the dental community. There are two reasons for this. 1) In our dental training, there is little to no instruction in this area of study. Even if there was, it is difficult to fully understand this subject without hands-on experience. 2) In order to be properly trained and subsequently skilled in this facet of dentistry, you must spend a great deal of time away from your dental office, and unfortunately your family as well. Sadly, when it comes to this aspect of dentistry, most dental professionals are not interested, or dedicated enough to be willing to devote the necessary time and expense that goes into the rigorous training.

The Goldstein Standard

Dr. Glen Goldstein has had the good fortune to study under two of the leaders in this field - Dr. Peter Dawson and Dr. Mark Piper. It is through their teachings and application that he has transformed his dental office from treating a tooth, to treating an entire person and their entire biomechanical system. Since incorporating this into the dental office almost 20 years ago, he has helped hundreds of patients with problems ranging from bad bites up through and including migraine headaches. Our dental office works very closely with ENTs, neurologists, practitioners in pain management, and chiropractors in solving these complex problems. If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have a bite, or joint problem:

• Worn teeth
• Sensitive teeth
• Painful teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweets
• A receding gum line(s)
• Painful muscles throughout the head and/or neck
• Frequent headaches
• Migraines
• Clicking, popping, or crunching sounds when you open or close your mouth
• Inability to close, or widely open the mouth
• Earaches
• Ringing in the ears
• A diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, RSD, or CRPS

What is the
Next Step?

This is a very slow, chronic process, and if undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, can cause debilitating problems. But… help is available! In order to treat any TMJ-related problem, we must first Diagnose it. In order to do this, we perform a complete, comprehensive exam. This process involves examining your teeth, your bite (the way your teeth come together), facial muscles, and jaw joints. In addition, we use Panoramic X-rays as well as CT Scans to arrive at a diagnosis. If warranted, we will take impressions and a recording of your bite. We then carefully study your jaw joint and the way your teeth come together. We round out our documentation by taking yet another more precise, detailed recording of your bite, only this time by way of computerized technology. The procedure is performed using a device called T-Scan. T-Scan takes computerized recordings of how your teeth come together. This device’s high level of sensitivity ascends that of any human being. As a result, it helps us identify the most minute disturbance. If necessary, an MRI will be ordered and evaluated. However, oftentimes we are able to identify the cause of the problem and eliminate it – it’s that simple.

Doppler Auscultation

In order to help us to make a precise, accurate diagnosis of your jaw joint, Drs. Glen and Zachary Goldstein use a device called a doppler. With this instrument, we're able to listen to sounds in your jaw joint, similar to a common ultrasound. Many patients who come to us never realize that they had a jaw problem, to begin with.