703.478.9574TMD / TMJ Questions
Reston and Arlington, VA
- Do a lot of people have TMD?
- If I have any of the TMD symptoms, where should I go first?
- I just want to get pain relief first, and worry about exact diagnosis later. How can I do that?
- Why is TMD so unknown or unrecognized?
- Are wisdom teeth one of the TMD causes?
About ten million people in the U.S. have TMJ at any given time, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (of the National Institute of Health). Most of them are young females.
Not all cases known, as they’re misdiagnosed as migraines, or not diagnosed at all.
If I have any of the TMD symptoms, where should I go first?
See your medical doctor first, to rule out other conditions that may be causing those symptoms. The doctor may refer you to a dentist, or you could see your dentist anyway, to get another opinion. If you receive conflicting opinions, don’t be shy about consulting other doctors and/or dentists until a definite diagnosis emerges.
I just want to get pain relief first, and worry about exact diagnosis later. How can I do that?
There are a number of things you can do for yourself, aside from taking a pain medication:
- Moist heat, such as a heat pack wrapped in a wet towel
- Ice packs wrapped in a soft cloth to reduce inflammation and dull the pain; apply the ice pack no more than 15 minutes at a time
- Avoid crunchy and sticky food; stay with food that needs minimal chewing
- Do deep slow breathing to help you relax
Why is TMD so unknown or unrecognized?
- TMD isn’t recognized as a specialty by either the American Dental Association (ADA) or the American Medical Association (AMA). That means there’s no accepted practice or standard of care for TMD.
- The symptoms are varied, and since headaches often predominate, they’re misdiagnosed as migraines, and the TMD goes untreated.
- Insurance companies generally don’t cover TMD treatment because no treatments have been scientifically established. Some attempted treatments have failed in the past, or made the symptoms worse, causing any insurance companies that paid for those treatments to pay again for further treatment, and this has made them withdraw from covering TMD.
Are wisdom teeth one of the TMD causes?
No, although they’re often removed, perhaps because they’re wrongly thought to be causing TMD. If the wisdom teeth are in the wrong position and crowding the neighboring teeth, maybe a misaligned bite could eventually result, but mostly wisdom teeth need only be extracted if they cause swollen or sore gums, or if there’s no room left for them to erupt properly.
Dr. Katz is happy to help clients from the Reston and Fairfax area overcome their TMJ / TMD issues. Please schedule a Free Smile Evaluation, and get started today on your road to a pain free bite.
