Bruxism & TMJ Treatment in Woodland Hills, CA
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, more commonly referred to as TMD, is a disorder that affects the jaw. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull. When this hinge is not working properly, it can cause a lot of pain. Symptoms include jaw pain, discomfort, difficulty chewing, and locking and/or clicking of the jaw joint.
Understanding Bruxism
Bruxism is the medical term for excessive teeth grinding or clenching of the jaw. Bruxism can be a symptom of TMJ, but, adversely, TMJ can cause bruxism in some patients. Both conditions are similar, and it can be very wise to treat both simultaneously.
TMJ Treatment in Woodland Hills, CA
To treat these conditions, your TMJ dentist in Woodland Hills, CA will take x-rays to analyze exactly what is causing the TMD and/or bruxism. From there, a detailed treatment plan can be arranged. A common item used to treat these disorders is a custom fitted mouth guard. After making an imprint of your bite, the team at West Hills Smiles can create a sleep guard that is perfectly molded to your mouth. This can help keep the jaw in a healthy position as well as alleviate stress on the teeth from excessive grinding/bruxism.
Other Ways to Reduce Bruxism/TMD Symptoms
In addition to dental fixes, many patients experience bruxism due to stress and may have to take additional steps, such as seeing a counselor, to reduce the stress in their life. In addition, the following have been helpful for people suffering from bruxism:
- Cut back on caffeine
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid chewing on anything that is not food (no ice, pen caps, fingernails, etc.)
- Techniques to relax the jaw
What Our Patients Think
The overall quality of your dental experience is very important to us.
This is THE place to go for your dental needs. You walk in and see their beautiful lobby that has a really big and soothing aquarium. They offer you snacks and drinks and the front desk girls always have a smile on their faces. The rooms are gorgeous! They even have those little cameras that take pictures of your teeth so you can see them (that was helpful because I had a crack on my tooth that I didn’t think it was a big deal until I saw it with the camera, ew!). The doctors are amazing. They didn’t try to sell me any treatment, but told me that their job was to educate me about oral health and my options, so I didn’t feel any pressure to proceed with anything I wasn’t comfortable with. I will come here for the rest of my life!
Just had work done by Dr. Mike Salekian today and was so impressed with how smoothly everything went!!!! I am usually terrified of the dentist (especially the numbing shots) but Dr. Mike was so gentle I honestly didn’t even feel him numbing me. He was very thorough at explaining everything so I felt comfortable the entire time. He is a very compassionate guy and truly cares about his patients. The assistant, Chris, is amazing too!! I highly recommend going to see them for any of your dental needs! You’ll be happy that you did! The front office is very accommodating when it comes to utilizing your insurance and making sure things are good on the financial side.
Recently, I was told I would be seeing a new dentist, Dr. Mike,by the excellent staff at West Hills Smile. After the first visit, I found Dr. Mike incredibly kind and very knowledgeable. We proceed with the treatment plan, and Dr. Mike continuously checked in while he was doing the procedure. Everything went fine, and it felt quick and painless. With the excellent care I received by Dr. Mike and continued support of the already great staff, I recommend this office. In my experience the staff is just as caring and willing to work with you as well. They go above and beyond, and really want to hear from you before a plan is in place, during your visit, and afterward if anything should pop up.