TMJ disorders are among the most prevalent oral-facial problems, affecting millions of people every year. The temporomandibular joint is an essential part of the jaw and the surrounding facial region. And when it becomes irritated or dislocated, it leads to pain and other symptoms.
TMJ disorder or TMD involves problems with the jaw and the muscles that control jaw movement. These problems can result in pain in your jaw joint as well as difficulty or discomfort when biting, chewing, speaking, or yawning.
TMD affects countless Americans. People suffering from TMD experience symptoms that limit their quality of life.
The condition may be caused by a combination of the following factors:
Since TMJ disorders can cause snoring, sleep apnea, fatigue, and discomfort, treating them means treating all symptoms. The best way to treat TMJ disorders is with oral appliance therapy worn at night. This will keep the lower jaw in a neutral, relaxed position, preventing clenching and allowing the muscles to relax.
Myofunctional therapy is a type of therapy for individuals who experience jaw pain (TMJ). This therapy focuses on correcting poor oral habits that contribute to jaw pain. It includes a series of noninvasive, nonsurgical, and reversible procedures that correct the alignment of the muscles of the mouth, face, and jaws.
This therapy is also used to treat a wide range of problems, including severe overbites, underbites, crossbites, open bites, TMJ disorders, and sleep apnea. Myofunctional therapy corrects these problems by training the facial and tongue muscles and aligning the teeth and jaws to their proper positions.
Myofunctional therapy can help alleviate the symptoms of TMJ disorder or jaw pain. Additionally, it can help correct bad oral habits like thumb-sucking, nail-biting, and jaw-clenching.
During your visit, we will examine your bite, temporomandibular joint range of motion, and muscles of your head and neck during our functional assessment.
Myofunctional therapy is most effective when carried out consistently, so plan on working with us for 6-8 months seeing us every 2 weeks!
Young children, teenagers, and adults of all ages can benefit from myofunctional therapy, though the treatment is especially helpful for those whose jaws or teeth are not developing properly.
Please schedule an appointment online or email us at info@nwmyofunctionaltherapy.com to have a consultation with our team, in Portland, OR and we will be happy to help.
MON - FRI By appointments only.
SAT - SUN Closed