Our Services

TMJ Therapy

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joints, which refers to the two joints that hold the lower jaw to the skull. These joints, located in front of your ears, can become misaligned from stress, injury, teeth grinding, or other factors. When the joints don't line up properly, your bite is off - clinically speaking, you suffer from malocclusion. The joints can create irritation in surrounding muscles and nerves, which leads to many nagging symptoms:

• Headaches & Migraines
• Bruxism (teeth grinding)
• Tooth Wear
• Neck, Facial, & Shoulder Pain
• Chronic Earaches
• Popping or Clicking Jaws
• Difficulty Opening & Closing the Jaws
• Tingling Extremities
• Low Back Pain

This condition is called TMJ disorder, which is a neuromuscular problem because it affects nerves (neuro-) and muscles (-muscular). Dr. Scott and Dr. Leslie Strommer studied neuromuscular dentistry at LVI, and they have a thorough understanding of how to diagnose and treat TMJ disorder without prescribing surgery.

Treatment may include an oral splint to correct the jaw's position, a nightguard to alleviate teeth grinding, building up worn teeth with dental work to reestablish proper occlusion, and/or exercises to relieve muscle stress. If you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, call New Image Dental to schedule a TMJ consultation with neuromuscular dentists Dr. Leslie and Dr. Scott Strommer. Our San Diego office helps patients from La Mesa, La Jolla, Mission Valley, and Mission Bay overcome the pain of TMJ disorder without surgical procedures.

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