Dr. Caleb Estes talking about TMJ
TMD Treatment in Nashville, TN

Jaw pain can affect your ability to do everyday things – it’s time to get relief.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (also called TMD or TMJ disorder) is a dysfunction of the jaw joint and associated muscles and can cause significant pain, stiffness, and damage when left untreated.

If you’re suffering from TMJ disorder, we know you’re not able to experience life to the fullest, facing a variety of uncomfortable and even debilitating symptoms every day. You don’t have to live that way.

What exactly is TMD/TMJ disorder?

TMD refers to a dysfunction of the jaw joint, which is located just in front of the ear, and the associated muscles involved in opening and closing the jaws. The disorder is often related to trauma, incorrect alignment of the teeth, or destructive grinding habits. TMD can be a chronic degenerative disorder that will cause progressive destruction if left untreated.

What are the signs and symptoms of TMD / TMJ disorder?

  • Worn, broken, or chipped teeth
  • Sounds of clicking, popping, or grating when opening and closing
  • Pain of the jaw joint and/or muscles — this pain can range from infrequent to constant and debilitating
  • Limited opening of the mouth
  • Grinding of the teeth
  • Chronic headaches
  • Neck, shoulder, and/or back pain
  • Stiff or sore jaw muscles

How is TMD/TMJ disorder treated?

Every case is unique, and therefore treatment can range from simple bite correction to joint surgery. Our primary treatment goal is to relax the jaw muscles in order to determine if a true joint issue is present or not. Often symptoms can be reduced or eliminated by improving the functional alignment of the teeth, which can include: bite equilibration, replacing incorrectly aligned previous dental work, or orthodontics (braces).

This is often followed by creating a bite splint, usually worn at night, which is specifically designed for your needs and functions by protecting the teeth and allowing the jaw joint and muscles to relax.

Click here to read more about jaw pain and TMD/TMJ

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Don’t let the jaw pain caused by TMJ problems prevent you from enjoying your day-to-day life any longer.

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Story From Michelle W.

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Issue: Spacing between the front teeth and an uneven tilt to the smile.

Solution: Short term orthodontics to evenly spread out the space between the teeth followed by veneers across the eight front teeth to create a level smile with color consistency and no spaces.

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