Experiencing Jaw Pain in Walnut Creek?

Find Out if TMJ Treatment is Right for You

If you are experiencing issues revolving around constant jaw pain and are having issues identifying the cause, you might be experiencing problems with your TMJ. Ivory Dental Aesthetics can help.

As a recommended course of treatment for issues with the TMJ, we offer dental bite guards, or splints, that are designed to adjust a patient’s teeth and jaw to correct their bite. They also help prevent Bruxism, or teeth grinding, and can help your facial muscles relax while preventing the jaw from locking.

As a Kois Center Graduate, Dr. Patel completed over 238 hours of continuing education, including focusing on TMJ treatment options. He knows the difficulties that TMJ can create for his patients, but he also knows the steps needed to get them out of that pain.

Ivory Dental Aesthetics in Walnut Creek, CA

What is it?

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction, also called TMJ, TMJ disorder, or TMD, occurs as a result of the temporomandibular joint not functioning properly. Though the exact cause of this disorder is difficult to pinpoint, it may be a result of factors such as arthritis, jaw injury, or genetics. In many cases, the pain associated with TMJ issues is only temporary and can be solved through nonsurgical treatments and self care. As a last resort, surgery may be required to correct the issue.

What are the symptoms?

There are a variety of symptoms that arise with TMJ issues. Though you probably won’t need treatment if there are no pain or movement issues involved, you may need to seek assistance if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Jaw pain or tenderness
A clicking sound or a grating sensation when opening your mouth or chewing
Aching in or around the ear or ears
Pain in your temporomandibular joints or face
Issues or pain when chewing
Joint locking that makes it difficult to move your mouth

What is Centric Relation?

A centric relation refers to a spatial relation of the lower jaw bone and the upper jaw bone. In a healthy TMJ, it is the location of the mandible (lower jaw bone) when the rounded protuberance at the end of some bones called condyles form an articulation with another bone.

What’s a deprogrammer?

A deprogrammer is a removable, reversible dental device that’s designed to erase the engrams, or muscle memory, of how a person’s teeth fit together. Since a lot of TMJ symptoms are routed in the way our teeth function and fit together, this can be beneficial in treating TMJ issues. Deprogrammers can help identify and treat cases of TMD with great predictability.

Awesome service! Dr. Patel is a very sweet, funny, and caring guy. I’m scared of dentists, but he made my experience great and not scary at all :)

Tulsi - Patient

I love this office! The team is always a delight to visit. The front desk, Becky, is so sweet and is also a huge help in answering questions. Appreciate the entire staff and their work!

Parth - Patient

Dr. Patel and his staff are phenomenal! They do a great job making you feel comfortable and work with you to schedule an appointment as well as remind you when your appointment is coming up! If I could give more than 5 stars, I would!

Aliakbar - Patient

I was a bit nervous at first to get my much-needed implant procedure. Dr. Patel was very thorough, gentle, and comforting during my procedure. I had no issues at all, and I appreciate the supporting staff being so welcoming and helpful with my questions. I highly recommend Dr. Patel and his team!

Prachi - Patient

Dr. Patel and his team truly transformed my smile! After putting this off for so long, I finally decided I needed to get the necessary work done. Dr. Patel is PHENOMENAL. I am pain-free, my teeth look and feel great, and most importantly, I am so happy with my smile! It took a few visits, but totally worth it! THANK YOU, Dr. Patel!!

RJ - Patient

I visited Dr. Patel and the hygienist for the first time. I let Dr. Patel know that I was interested in veneers. He took a few extra minutes to explain the different types of veneers, the process, and the pros and cons. He is very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. He was genuine and didn’t try to push to sell services and I appreciate that. Will definitely be making Ivory Dental my new dental office. The entire team is helpful!

Prithijit - Patient

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