If you have been diagnosed with TMJ, which stands for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder and is also known as TMD, you know how painful jaw joint dysfunction is and how the least little movement can exacerbate the pain. If you’ve suffered a substantial injury or re-injury to the Temporomandibular Joints, which are located on either side of the face just below the ear where the jaw connects, you will need TMJ treatment as soon as possible.

When the TMJs are injured or re-injured through trauma, you may develop symptoms, or existing symptoms may become worse. Dr. Adam Hahn is a TMJ dentist who’s been helping people suffering from the painful symptoms of TMJ/TMD for many years.

More About Our TMJ Practice

We focus on general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and neuromuscular dentistry. Dr. Hahn has spent many years acquiring the education and training to treat TMJ using various neuromuscular dentistry techniques and technology.

He received a prestigious Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) fellowship, partly because he had many hours of continuing education in his field. He also completed a fellowship in Orofacial Pain Management and Neuromuscular Occlusion led by Dr. Jay Gerber at the Center for Occlusal Studies in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Dr. Hahn has the knowledge, training, skills, technology, staff, and passion to change your life with highly effective, affordable TMJ treatment.

Injury to the TMJs

If you have injured or re-injured your jaw joints, please contact Dr. Hahn to schedule an initial TMJ evaluation. Using the most innovative technology available today, Dr. Hahn and his team will track the sounds and movements of your jaw joints and surrounding muscles, nerves, and ligaments to pinpoint precisely where the problem lies. We will discuss your past and current symptoms and any treatment you’ve had, and we will learn what your goals are for daily living—in addition to the obvious one of being free of pain.

Injury to the TMJ may occur:

  • In a vehicle collision
  • Due to a blow to the head or face
  • A fall
  • A misaligned bite (known as “malocclusion”)
  • Dental problems including worn teeth, uneven teeth, crooked teeth, missing teeth, tooth decay, and gum disease (periodontal disease)
  • Various micro traumas
  • Various macro trauma

TMJ Micro Trauma

Micro traumas may lead to problems with the TMJs. A micro trauma is defined as a minor internal injury that is brought about by repetitive behavior. These behaviors may include habits you may not even realize you have, like jaw clenching, teeth grinding, or excessive gum chewing. Chewing gum and clenching your teeth while working and sleeping are two prevalent habits that are traumatic to the TMJs.

Even the smallest muscle adaptation that occurs repetitively can cause myofascial trigger points (hypersensitive areas of tension and pain). With micro trauma, your jaw joints are damaged slowly and over a long period. You may not even realize you’ve suffered a micro trauma until the painful symptoms of TMJ begin to manifest.

TMJ Macro Trauma

Macro traumas are incidents like head/face injuries from car accidents, sports injuries, or violence. If you’ve ever had trauma to the jaw, face, head, or neck area, you could have exacerbated minor jaw joint issues you didn’t even realize you had.  Regardless of the type of injury or re-injury your TMJ has suffered, you should seek TMJ treatment as soon as possible.

Symptoms of TMJ Injury or TMJ Re-injury

Many TMJ symptoms may seem unrelated, but a TMJ dentist with advanced neuromuscular dentistry education and training knows the numerous symptoms that TMJ often presents:

  • Jaw pain
  • Jaw tightness
  • Clicking/popping noises in the jaw area
  • Facial pain
  • Headaches
  • Neck pain
  • Stiff neck
  • Ear pain
  • Ear congestion
  • Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
  • Numbness and/or tingling in the hands and fingers
  • Upper back pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Vertigo
  • Dizziness

Many other symptoms are associated with TMJ, but these are the most common.

TMJ Treatment

There are affordable and highly effective TMJ treatments that will relieve many of your symptoms in a short amount of time. Combined with other treatments in the office, simple lifestyle and habit changes yield excellent results for many of our TMJ patients.

You may need to change your sleeping position or the type of pillow you use. Changing nighttime habits, including what you eat and drink, may also be suggested. You may benefit from other TMJ treatments like:

  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
  • Bite splint (oral appliance)
  • Physical therapy
  • Bite reconstruction
  • Surgery (only in very rare cases)

Injury to the TMJ?

If you’ve suffered from an injury to the TMJ or you’ve re-injured your TMJ in a car accident or while playing a sport, please contact Dr. Hahn by calling (803) 781-9090. You may also fill out our online contact form, and one of our team members will reach out to answer questions or assist with scheduling.