Can a Dentist Help With TMJ?
Yes, a dentist can diagnose and treat most cases of TMJ disorder. If you’re dealing with jaw pain, clicking when you open your mouth, tension headaches, or a jaw that occasionally locks, your dentist is the right first call. Many of the causes of TMJ disorder are dental in nature, and treatment is often more straightforward than patients expect.
Here’s what TMJ disorder actually is, what causes it, and what the process looks like at Avalon Dental in St. John’s.
What Is TMJ?
The temporomandibular joint, one on each side of your face, just in front of each ear, acts like a sliding hinge connecting your jawbone to your skull. It controls every movement involved in chewing, speaking, and yawning.
TMJ disorder is the term used when this joint, or the surrounding muscles and tissues, becomes strained or dysfunctional. The condition is sometimes written as TMD (temporomandibular disorder) to distinguish the condition from the joint itself.
The most common symptoms include:
- Jaw pain or stiffness, especially in the morning
- A clicking, popping, or grinding sound when opening or closing the mouth
- Tension headaches, particularly around the temples
- Earaches or a feeling of fullness in the ear
- Difficulty or discomfort when chewing
- Jaw locking
- A sore jaw on one side when opening your mouth
- Tenderness around the jaw, face, or neck
It’s also worth knowing that not everyone with TMJ disorder has clicking. Some people experience only pain or stiffness with no audible sound at all.
What Causes TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorder is rarely caused by one thing alone. The most common contributing factors are:
Teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism): The most frequently linked dental cause. Grinding puts enormous, repeated pressure on the jaw joint, most often at night, without the person realising it.
Bite misalignment: When your upper and lower teeth don’t fit together evenly, the jaw muscles work harder to compensate. Over time this creates chronic strain on the joint.
Stress and muscle tension: The jaw is one of the places the body holds tension. People who clench during the day while concentrating, driving, or working at a screen, may not notice until symptoms develop.
Previous jaw injury: A knock to the jaw, whiplash, or even a long dental appointment requiring the mouth to be held open for an extended time can trigger TMJ symptoms.
Arthritis: Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the temporomandibular joint, particularly in older patients.
Can a Dentist Diagnose TMJ?
Yes. Dentists diagnose and treat TMJ disorder regularly, particularly when it’s related to teeth grinding, clenching, or bite alignment, which covers the majority of cases. At Avalon Dental, our diagnostic process includes:
- A detailed conversation about your symptoms, pain patterns, and lifestyle factors
- An examination of your jaw movement and range of motion
- A check of how your teeth fit together when you bite
- A look for signs of wear, chipping, or muscle tension
- Comprehensive examination and X-rays if a closer look at your bite alignment or joint structure is needed
If your case involves more complex joint issues that go beyond what a general dentist treats, we’ll refer you to the right specialist. But for most patients, the dentist is the right starting point and often the only professional they need.
Treatment Options at Avalon Dental
What we recommend depends on what’s driving your symptoms. The most common treatments are:
Custom biteplane: For patients whose TMJ symptoms are linked to grinding or clenching, a custom-fitted biteplane is the most effective starting point. It’s a hard acrylic appliance worn over the teeth at night that absorbs grinding forces and gives the jaw a stable resting position, reducing strain on the joint overnight. At Avalon Dental, the process starts with a quick digital scan, about 10 to 15 minutes, and your bite plane is fabricated and ready within 1 to 2 weeks. Many patients notice reduced jaw soreness within the first few weeks of wearing it consistently.
Not sure whether you need a biteplane or a night guard, or what the difference is? Here’s how the two compare.
Bite adjustments or restorative treatment: If your symptoms stem from a misaligned bite or uneven tooth surfaces — a filling that sits slightly high, a crown that’s a touch off — adjusting or restoring the affected teeth can relieve the strain that’s been accumulating.
Specialist referral: For more complex cases like significant joint damage, or symptoms that don’t respond to dental treatment, we may refer you to a physiotherapist, oral surgeon, or another specialist. We stay involved and coordinate care throughout.
What You Can Do at Home
These habits can help ease symptoms alongside professional treatment:
- Avoid chewy or very hard foods
- Apply a warm compress to the jaw for 10 to 15 minutes, particularly before bed, to relax tight muscles
- Be aware of daytime clenching
- Try gentle jaw exercises: slowly open as wide as comfortable, hold for a few seconds, then close. Repeat 5 to 10 times. Your dentist can recommend a routine specific to your situation
- Avoid habits that strain the jaw
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol in the evenings, as both can worsen night-time grinding
- Address underlying stress where possible
Find Relief from Jaw Pain in St. John’s
If you’ve been managing jaw pain, clicking, or morning headaches and haven’t had it assessed, now is a good time to look into it. Most TMJ disorder is very manageable once the cause is identified.
At Avalon Dental in St. John’s, we’ll take the time to understand what’s actually driving your symptoms before recommending anything. We offer TMJ & Bruxism treatment including custom biteplanes fabricated in 1 to 2 weeks, and we accept most insurance plans.
