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.
- 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
What are the signs of TMJ disorder (TMD)?
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.
Winner Of The Three Best Rated Award
Dr. Bukhari is the winner of the 3 Best Dentists in Norfolk.
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
Jackie Walton
3 weeks ago
Friendly staff, felt very welcome from the moment I walked in . Office was very clean and professional looking, this was my third Visit really pleased with the work that has been done. Will definitely be back in the fall for my next cleaning, thank you also very much for making me feel so welcome. Take care talk soon Jackie Walton
Chantelle Seguin
3 weeks ago
I cannot express enough how grateful I am to Dr. Bukhari, Meghan, Shannon and the entire team at PD dentistry. Each and every one of the team goes above and beyond in every interaction. They are so friendly, make you feel calm, confident and taken care of. I recently had a huge procedure done (4 front crowns!) and they took the time to explain the procedure in great detail and even set me up to meet with Pow Laboratories to do custom shading (they did a great job). Dr Bukhari did AMAZING work and I have had nothing but compliments on my new smile 😄! … I wish I did this years ago! Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! I feel much more confident and I am so appreciative of this great experience!
Chelsie Breddy
3 months ago
I cannot recommend this dentist enough. I had severe anxiety about getting dental work done and avoided it far too long. I had an extremely painful experience getting the freezing needles prior to this (at a separate dentist) so I was very scared to get it done. If this sounds like you, please do not wait. The team at port Dover family dentistry treated me so well, I felt 0 pain. No pain from the needles or the procedure. I couldn’t believe it. Aside from an enjoyable treatment experience, the customer service is also 5 stars. I called after they had closed and within 20 minutes the dentist called me back personally to see what I needed done and got me in the very next day. He even moved his day around to accommodate me before I had to go back to BC. From now on I will travel from far and wide just to visit him for my dental needs. I have no anxiety or fear surrounding the dentist anymore :) thank you so much!
Alyssa Haskett-Kilpatrick
2 months ago
I have never been happier ! I am still smiling after my appt yesterday! The dentist fixed my chipped tooth I’ve had since grade 5! They have done more for me then my previous dentist that I went to since I was a kid has ever done . Absolutely fantastic. Everyone is so nice and caring at this office I HIGHLY recommend going here .
Ariana Lauppe
4 months ago
The staff are so friendly and welcoming! They make going to the dentist a great experience and always double check that I am within my insurance allowance. Makes it super easy! Would highly recommend.
Jackie Walton
3 weeks ago
Friendly staff, felt very welcome from the moment I walked in . Office was very clean and professional looking, this was my third Visit really pleased with the work that has been done. Will definitely be back in the fall for my next cleaning, thank you also very much for making me feel so welcome. Take care talk soon Jackie Walton
Chantelle Seguin
3 weeks ago
I cannot express enough how grateful I am to Dr. Bukhari, Meghan, Shannon and the entire team at PD dentistry. Each and every one of the team goes above and beyond in every interaction. They are so friendly, make you feel calm, confident and taken care of. I recently had a huge procedure done (4 front crowns!) and they took the time to explain the procedure in great detail and even set me up to meet with Pow Laboratories to do custom shading (they did a great job). Dr Bukhari did AMAZING work and I have had nothing but compliments on my new smile 😄! … I wish I did this years ago! Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! I feel much more confident and I am so appreciative of this great experience!
Chelsie Breddy
3 months ago
I cannot recommend this dentist enough. I had severe anxiety about getting dental work done and avoided it far too long. I had an extremely painful experience getting the freezing needles prior to this (at a separate dentist) so I was very scared to get it done. If this sounds like you, please do not wait. The team at port Dover family dentistry treated me so well, I felt 0 pain. No pain from the needles or the procedure. I couldn’t believe it. Aside from an enjoyable treatment experience, the customer service is also 5 stars. I called after they had closed and within 20 minutes the dentist called me back personally to see what I needed done and got me in the very next day. He even moved his day around to accommodate me before I had to go back to BC. From now on I will travel from far and wide just to visit him for my dental needs. I have no anxiety or fear surrounding the dentist anymore :) thank you so much!
Alyssa Haskett-Kilpatrick
2 months ago
I have never been happier ! I am still smiling after my appt yesterday! The dentist fixed my chipped tooth I’ve had since grade 5! They have done more for me then my previous dentist that I went to since I was a kid has ever done . Absolutely fantastic. Everyone is so nice and caring at this office I HIGHLY recommend going here .
Ariana Lauppe
4 months ago
The staff are so friendly and welcoming! They make going to the dentist a great experience and always double check that I am within my insurance allowance. Makes it super easy! Would highly recommend.
