If you suffer from frequent, painful headaches and feel like you’ve explored all possible causes without finding answers, you may need to consider one of the most commonly overlooked culprits – TMJ!
Fortunately, Dr. Brian Gilbert and our experienced staff at Bright Star Dental in Las Cruces, New Mexico can help you find relief from the often debilitating symptoms of TMJ disorder.
What Is TMJ?
TMJ is your temporomandibular joint, which is located in front of your ears where your jawbone connects with the rest of your skull. Usually, when people talk about TMJ, what they’re really referring to TMJ disorder (TMD).
Common Symptoms of TMJ
As you speak and eat, your joint on each side is designed to move up and down and side to side in perfect harmony…your jaw is aligned, the planets are aligned, and everything is right with the world.
Until it isn’t! The fact is, TMJ is one of the most actively used joints in your body, and when it’s not properly aligned, it can cause all sorts of problems such as
- pain or swelling in the jaw area
- lockjaw
- clicking or grinding in your jaw
- and….you guessed it, headaches and migraines!
Call Bright Star Dental today at 575-680-1084 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gilbert so he can determine if you have TMJ disorder and help you feel better fast!
Bright Star Dental Can Ease Your Pain!
TMJ disorder can cause you to constantly clench your jaw, even without realizing you’re doing it. You may be doing this all throughout the day or even at night while you sleep. Over time, that creates a lot of built-up tension in not only your jaw, but also in your head and through the back of your neck, resulting in painful headaches and migraines.
But how can you stop tensing those muscles if you don’t even realize you’re doing it in the first place?
At Bright Star Dental, we believe that helping you become more aware of your tendency to clench and grind your jaw is the first step to effectively treating your headaches, and since everyone’s needs are different, Dr. Gilbert offers several strategies for getting rid of your tension-induced headaches such as
- Timed PT exercises – Simple stretching and other techniques you can do at home to easily train yourself out of the habit of clenching and grinding
- BOTOX treatments – These help tone down the tension of the muscles in your jaw and keep you from clenching the way you did before without compromising your ability to function normally
- Night Guards – Dr. Gilbert will make a customized night guard that fits like a retainer to keep you from biting down as you sleep
- Medication– We can help you manage your pain using various OTC medication or prescribing muscle relaxants or pain medications that safely and effectively ease the discomfort caused by built-up muscle tension
- Oral Appliances – These help ease some of the pressure caused by TMJ, and thanks to our in-house laboratories, advanced technologies, and expert staff, we can customize them just for you in one convenient visit!
When you come to Bright Star Dental, Dr. Gilbert will give you a thorough evaluation to determine the cause of your TMJ disorder so you can finally get back to enjoying your life pain-free. Call today at 575-680-1084 to schedule an appointment and find out which one of our treatment options is best for you!
You Can Start Living Pain-Free Today!
You could continue to keep throwing pain relievers at your headaches and migraines, but it only temporarily masks the problem. Why not trust an expert like Dr. Gilbert to attack the source of these problems and give you long-term solutions?
Aren’t you ready to take back control of your life?
Aren’t you ready to say to the pain, “OMG, TMJ! Enough is enough!â€
Dr. Gilbert and our experienced professionals at Bright Star Dental have been helping patients turn their lives around quickly and effectively for nearly 30 years, and we can help you, too. Call our office today 575-680-1084, and let us help you eliminate your tension-induced headaches for good!