Cazes Family Dentistry - Long Valley

TMJ Therapy in Long Valley

TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint and TMD stands for Temporomandibular Disorder. TMJ and TMD are both often used to describe the conditions affecting the muscles, nerves and joints of the jaw.
Call 908-503-5819

Jaw pain is not normal.

If jaw pain is part of your everyday life, it may seem normal to you. The truth is, jaw pain is far from normal and may be a symptom of a condition called TMD from one or both of your TMJs. Those are the joints of your lower jaw, called TemporoMandibular Joints. When disease or misalignment occurs, the TMJ and surrounding area becomes inflamed — which is what causes pain and other symptoms.

    What are the signs of TMJ disorder (TMD)?
  • Headaches
  • Earaches, tenderness around the ear
  • Face or jaw pain and tenderness
  • Muscle pain in your neck, shoulders and upper back
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Clicking, popping, or grinding jaw
  • Difficulty chewing, yawning or opening your mouth

How do we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder?

Diagnosis

Treatment of TMD begins with a comprehensive clinical examination, to check your face, jaw, bite, joints, and teeth. During your appointment, we will check for pain and tenderness and listen for clicking or popping when you open and close your mouth, swallow, or chew. If the disorder is diagnosed, a bite splint or night guard is often recommended as the initial treatment.

Treatment and Relief

Our treatment application involves bite splints, which are custom-created plastic mouthpieces, designed to fit over your upper and/or lower teeth. These type of devices prevent the grinding and clenching that often causes or worsens TMD. The splint also realigns the jaw, removing stress on the surrounding area.

Alternative Treatment Options

If a misaligned bite or missing teeth are the cause of your symptoms, we may recommend orthodontics or restorative dental work. If your bite is placing undue pressure on the TMJ’s, we may suggest reshaping individual teeth to redistribute the bite force evenly.

Contact us today

to schedule an initial consultation & exam.

Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.

Frequently Asked Questions

TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint. If this joint becomes misaligned or inflamed we refer to that as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMD for short.
Signs or symptoms of TMD include pain and tenderness in or around the ear, the jaw joint, or the muscles of the jaw, face or temples. Other symptoms are problems opening or closing your mouth, and a clicking, popping, crunching or grinding noise when you chew, yawn or open your mouth. TMDs may be linked with neck pain and headaches.
TMD is caused by a combination of factors like jaw injuries and joint disease, such as arthritis. It’s believed that bruxism (tooth clenching or grinding) and head or neck muscle tension may make TMD symptoms worse. Stress is also a possible factor. However, it is not clear if stress causes TMD or is a result. Other things that may lead to TMDs are partial or full dentures that are not the right fit and certain habits such as fingernail biting and pen or pencil biting. As you can see, there are an array of different causes which makes TMD hard to diagnose. The best way to understand your jaw pain symptoms are to book an appointment.
There are many possible causes of headaches. No doctor will be able to determine the cause of your headache without a physical examination.
Most often, TMJ pain can be treated effectively with non-invasive treatments and therapies. In very rare circumstances, TMD may require surgery. Your health and happiness are both important to us. We will always present you with all of your options, work through the safest and easiest options first, and give you the final decision on what happens next.

Google Verified Patient Reviews

Matthew Croker
4 weeks ago
Amazing practice! Every staff member is friendly and comforting. They are very focused on your comfort and ensuring it's as pain-free and anxiety free. They adjust the plan to what you need at that appointment and worked to ensure my biggest issues were solved first. I can't speak highly enough of everyone here.
More
amanda muino
2 months ago
Amazing! The Staff at Cazes is so warm and welcoming. As someone who is not at all a dentist person, from the moment I walked in I felt extremely comfortable. Dr. Janice was able to fit me and immediately removed the wisdom tooth that was causing me discomfort. Will most definitely be using their office moving forward for myself and family members. They also see children! Highly recommended!
More
Pat Brennan
2 months ago
Extremely happy with everyone I encountered today. Both Dr Janice and Dr Jay took the time to listen to me and explain things with great care. I am now making Cazes Family Dentistry my new forever dental practice. Thank you so very much for being so professional
More
Bruce Smith
2 months ago
while I was eating something soft last week, I felt my jaw crushing something that turned out to be a molar, the cap had come off and the tooth split in two. I was able to make an appointment last week to come in today to have Dr. Janet Cazes look at the tooth. It had to be removed as it had split in two. Nothing could be done to fix the tooth, and I had to do something before an infection set in. the extraction was painless, and done in a professional manner by the Dr.& her assistant.
More
Rob Barnett
2 months ago
First time at this office. Had to fix a broken tooth. Everyone was very polite. In and out quickly and the procedure was painless. Will continue to go there for cleanings and any other work that needs to be done. Thanks to you Dr Emma and the rest of the crew.
More
Matthew Croker
4 weeks ago
Amazing practice! Every staff member is friendly and comforting. They are very focused on your comfort and ensuring it's as pain-free and anxiety free. They adjust the plan to what you need at that appointment and worked to ensure my biggest issues were solved first. I can't speak highly enough of everyone here.
More
amanda muino
2 months ago
Amazing! The Staff at Cazes is so warm and welcoming. As someone who is not at all a dentist person, from the moment I walked in I felt extremely comfortable. Dr. Janice was able to fit me and immediately removed the wisdom tooth that was causing me discomfort. Will most definitely be using their office moving forward for myself and family members. They also see children! Highly recommended!
More
Pat Brennan
2 months ago
Extremely happy with everyone I encountered today. Both Dr Janice and Dr Jay took the time to listen to me and explain things with great care. I am now making Cazes Family Dentistry my new forever dental practice. Thank you so very much for being so professional
More
Bruce Smith
2 months ago
while I was eating something soft last week, I felt my jaw crushing something that turned out to be a molar, the cap had come off and the tooth split in two. I was able to make an appointment last week to come in today to have Dr. Janet Cazes look at the tooth. It had to be removed as it had split in two. Nothing could be done to fix the tooth, and I had to do something before an infection set in. the extraction was painless, and done in a professional manner by the Dr.& her assistant.
More
Rob Barnett
2 months ago
First time at this office. Had to fix a broken tooth. Everyone was very polite. In and out quickly and the procedure was painless. Will continue to go there for cleanings and any other work that needs to be done. Thanks to you Dr Emma and the rest of the crew.
More
Cazes Family Dentistry - Long Valley

Request an Appointment Today

Call 908-503-5819