TMJ Disorder Orange County Irvine Newport Beach CA

While the causes of TMJ disorder are varied, the symptoms are usually the same. If you have TMJ problems, you may experience difficulty or discomfort when eating, especially chewy or hard foods. You may notice a dull ache on the side of your face or in your ears. You may hear clicking, popping, or grating sounds when you open or close your mouth. Headaches and migraines, particularly in the morning, are also common symptoms.

TMJ disorder can also cause problems with your teeth, which may not be as noticeable as a clicking jaw or aching face. Teeth can become worn down by grinding or only chewing on one side in an attempt to alleviate pain. They may also become loose because of excess pressure from clenching or if the jaw bone begins to deteriorate. Worn and loose teeth can lead to further difficulty and discomfort when eating or speaking, and can increase your risk of tooth decay or permanent tooth loss.

Worn Teeth

With normal chewing, biting surfaces of teeth wear slightly during our lifetime. Bruxism describes grinding of your teeth with greater force than normal and may result in excessive tooth wear. Bruxism can destroy healthy teeth and lead to sensitivity and bone loss.

Loose Teeth

With normal chewing, biting forces do not cause teeth to be loose unless there is an infection or periodontal disease (bone loss). Clenching or excessive biting forces can loosen teeth that have healthy bone. In addition, teeth that do not fit together properly, may become loose even during normal chewing. These conditions may lead to discomfort and premature tooth loss.

Muscle/Joint Pain (Tempromandibular Disorder – TMD – also called TMJ by the public) TMD is a collective term that describes clinical problems in the chewing muscles, tempromandibular joints or both. It can elicit acute facial pain. TMD can be constant or intermittent and symptoms can vary greatly between individuals.

Bite/Jaw Problems

Your teeth and bite should change very little and remain symptom free throughout your entire life. Like many other diseases, it may take many years before you become aware of the damage that is occurring because many of the problems seem unrelated to your bite. The teeth, muscles, and jaw joint must work in harmony when you chew. If some teeth touch incorrectly when you chew, your body will try to compensate for this problem and injury to your teeth, muscles, or jaw joint is likely to occur.

Other symptoms/problems include:

Cracked or Broken Teeth
Sore or stiff jaw muscles
Facial Pain
Headaches
Pain when chewing
Grinding or squeezing your teeth
Uncomfortable bite
Shifting bite / open spaces between teeth
Crowded teeth Jaw joint pain and/or sounds: clicking, popping, grating
Limited jaw opening

Treatments for TMJ Disorder

Treatment for TMJ disorder may be as simple as modifying your diet. It may also involve orthodontics to realign your bite, surgery to correct jaw structure and fit, dental appliances to retrain jaw muscles and/or shift teeth, or other treatment options. Dr. Rice will do a complete assessment of your bite and jaw to determine the appropriate procedures to meet your individual needs.

Treatment Options Include

How do I know if I’m at risk for TMJ Disorder?

Answer the questions below to learn your risk level for bite problems

1. Do you have problems with your jaw joint? (pain, sounds, limited opening, locking, popping)

2. Do you / would you have any problems chewing gum?

3. Do you / would you have any problems chewing bagels, baguettes, protein bars, or other hard foods?

4. Have your teeth changed in the last 3 years, become shorter, thinner or worn?

5. Are your teeth crowing or developing spaces?

6. Do you have more than one bite and squeeze to make your teeth fit together?

7. Do you chew ice, bit your nails, use your tee4th to hold objects, or have any other oral habits?

8. Do you clench your teeth in the daytime or made them sore?

9. Do you have any problems with sleep or wake up with an awareness of your teeth?

10. Do you wear or have you ever worn a bit appliance?

If you answered YES to THREE or more of these questions, you are at HIGH RISK for bite/jaw problems. If you answered YES to ONE OR TWO of these questions, you are at MODERATE RISK for bite/jaw problems. If you answered NO to ALL of these questions, you are at LOW RISK for bite/jaw problems.

Dr. Rice will thoroughly evaluate your bite to determine its current state of health. The reasons for bite problems are often multi-faceted. Following the evaluation, Dr. Rice can determine how likely you will be to encounter problems.

TMJ Disorder				Location Rice Dentistry 4330 Barranca Parkway, Suite 140 Irvine, CA 92604 (949) 551-5902 Map View Larger Map Follow Us
TMJ Disorder Specialist Serving Orange County, Irvine and Newport Beach



Does your jaw click when you chew? Does it hurt when you yawn? Do you have tension headaches that seem to start in your jaw muscles? You may have TMJ disorder. But you don’t have to live with the discomfort that comes with TMJ disorder. At Rice Dentistry, we’ve got solutions to help you eat, laugh, and live pain free. What is TMJ Disorder? Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, refers to an inflammation of the connective tissues between your jaw and skull. When the tendons, muscles, and bones do not fit and work together correctly, or those tissues are strained beyond their normal limits, it hurts. This can be caused by a number of things, including but not limited to: poorly aligned bite unusual chewing or speaking movement clenching and/or grinding of the teeth prolonged and/or frequent chewing and/or biting of hard foods and objects degenerative diseases Signs and symptoms of TMJ Disorder While the causes of TMJ disorder are varied, the symptoms are usually the same. If you have TMJ problems, you may experience difficulty or discomfort when eating, especially chewy or hard foods. You may notice a dull ache on the side of your face or in your ears. You may hear clicking, popping, or grating sounds when you open or close your mouth. Headaches and migraines, particularly in the morning, are also common symptoms. TMJ disorder can also cause problems with your teeth, which may not be as noticeable as a clicking jaw or aching face. Teeth can become worn down by grinding or only chewing on one side in an attempt to alleviate pain. They may also become loose because of excess pressure from clenching or if the jaw bone begins to deteriorate. Worn and loose teeth can lead to further difficulty and discomfort when eating or speaking, and can increase your risk of tooth decay or permanent tooth loss. Worn Teeth With normal chewing, biting surfaces of teeth wear slightly during our lifetime. Bruxism describes grinding of your teeth with greater force than normal and may result in excessive tooth wear. Bruxism can destroy healthy teeth and lead to sensitivity and bone loss. Loose Teeth With normal chewing, biting forces do not cause teeth to be loose unless there is an infection or periodontal disease (bone loss). Clenching or excessive biting forces can loosen teeth that have healthy bone. In addition, teeth that do not fit together properly, may become loose even during normal chewing. These conditions may lead to discomfort and premature tooth loss. Muscle/Joint Pain (Tempromandibular Disorder – TMD – also called TMJ by the public) TMD is a collective term that describes clinical problems in the chewing muscles, tempromandibular joints or both. It can elicit acute facial pain. TMD can be constant or intermittent and symptoms can vary greatly between individuals. Bite/Jaw Problems Your teeth and bite should change very little and remain symptom free throughout your entire life. Like many other diseases, it may take many years before you become aware of the damage that is occurring because many of the problems seem unrelated to your bite. The teeth, muscles, and jaw joint must work in harmony when you chew. If some teeth touch incorrectly when you chew, your body will try to compensate for this problem and injury to your teeth, muscles, or jaw joint is likely to occur. Other symptoms/problems include: Cracked or Broken Teeth Sore or stiff jaw muscles Facial Pain Headaches Pain when chewing Grinding or squeezing your teeth Uncomfortable bite Shifting bite / open spaces between teeth Crowded teeth Jaw joint pain and/or sounds: clicking, popping, grating Limited jaw opening Treatments for TMJ Disorder Treatment for TMJ disorder may be as simple as modifying your diet. It may also involve orthodontics to realign your bite, surgery to correct jaw structure and fit, dental appliances to retrain jaw muscles and/or shift teeth, or other treatment options. Dr. Rice will do a complete assessment of your bite and jaw to determine the appropriate procedures to meet your individual needs. Treatment Options Include : Bite Analysis Diet Modification Tooth Protection Therapy Appliance Therapy Orthodontic Jaw Surgery Bite Reconstruction How do I know if I’m at risk for TMJ Disorder? Answer the questions below to learn your risk level for bite problems 1. Do you have problems with your jaw joint? (pain, sounds, limited opening, locking, popping) 2. Do you / would you have any problems chewing gum? 3. Do you / would you have any problems chewing bagels, baguettes, protein bars, or other hard foods? 4. Have your teeth changed in the last 3 years, become shorter, thinner or worn? 5. Are your teeth crowing or developing spaces? 6. Do you have more than one bite and squeeze to make your teeth fit together? 7. Do you chew ice, bit your nails, use your tee4th to hold objects, or have any other oral habits? 8. Do you clench your teeth in the daytime or made them sore? 9. Do you have any problems with sleep or wake up with an awareness of your teeth? 10. Do you wear or have you ever worn a bit appliance? If you answered YES to THREE or more of these questions, you are at HIGH RISK for bite/jaw problems. If you answered YES to ONE OR TWO of these questions, you are at MODERATE RISK for bite/jaw problems. If you answered NO to ALL of these questions, you are at LOW RISK for bite/jaw problems. Dr. Rice will thoroughly evaluate your bite to determine its current state of health. The reasons for bite problems are often multi-faceted. Following the evaluation, Dr. Rice can determine how likely you will be to encounter problems.



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TMJ Disorder Specialist Serving Orange County, Irvine and Newport Beach

What is TMJ Disorder?

Signs and symptoms of TMJ Disorder

Treatments for TMJ Disorder

How do I know if I’m at risk for TMJ Disorder?