Jaw pain is not normal.
If jaw pain is part of your everyday life, it may seem normal to you. The truth is, jaw pain is far from normal and may be a symptom of a condition called TMD from one or both of your TMJs. Those are the joints of your lower jaw, called TemporoMandibular Joints. When disease or misalignment occurs, the TMJ and surrounding area becomes inflamed — which is what causes pain and other symptoms.
- Headaches
- Earaches, tenderness around the ear
- Face or jaw pain and tenderness
- Muscle pain in your neck, shoulders and upper back
- Ringing in the ears
- Clicking, popping, or grinding jaw
- Difficulty chewing, yawning or opening your mouth
What are the signs of TMJ disorder (TMD)?
How do we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder?
Diagnosis
Treatment of TMD begins with a comprehensive clinical examination, to check your face, jaw, bite, joints, and teeth. During your appointment, we will check for pain and tenderness and listen for clicking or popping when you open and close your mouth, swallow, or chew. If the disorder is diagnosed, a bite splint or night guard is often recommended as the initial treatment.
Treatment and Relief
Our treatment application involves bite splints, which are custom-created plastic mouthpieces, designed to fit over your upper and/or lower teeth. These type of devices prevent the grinding and clenching that often causes or worsens TMD. The splint also realigns the jaw, removing stress on the surrounding area.
Alternative Treatment Options
If a misaligned bite or missing teeth are the cause of your symptoms, we may recommend orthodontics or restorative dental work. If your bite is placing undue pressure on the TMJ’s, we may suggest reshaping individual teeth to redistribute the bite force evenly.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint. If this joint becomes misaligned or inflamed we refer to that as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMD for short.
Signs or symptoms of TMD include pain and tenderness in or around the ear, the jaw joint, or the muscles of the jaw, face or temples. Other symptoms are problems opening or closing your mouth, and a clicking, popping, crunching or grinding noise when you chew, yawn or open your mouth. TMDs may be linked with neck pain and headaches.
TMD is caused by a combination of factors like jaw injuries and joint disease, such as arthritis. It’s believed that bruxism (tooth clenching or grinding) and head or neck muscle tension may make TMD symptoms worse. Stress is also a possible factor. However, it is not clear if stress causes TMD or is a result. Other things that may lead to TMDs are partial or full dentures that are not the right fit and certain habits such as fingernail biting and pen or pencil biting. As you can see, there are an array of different causes which makes TMD hard to diagnose. The best way to understand your jaw pain symptoms are to book an appointment.
There are many possible causes of headaches. No doctor will be able to determine the cause of your headache without a physical examination.
Most often, TMJ pain can be treated effectively with non-invasive treatments and therapies. In very rare circumstances, TMD may require surgery. Your health and happiness are both important to us. We will always present you with all of your options, work through the safest and easiest options first, and give you the final decision on what happens next.
Google Verified Patient Reviews
Melissa Mote
3 months ago
Everyone at Grover has been a pleasure to deal with! They’re very aware of and accommodating of the experience of dental anxiety. I highly recommend their practice if you’re looking to switch providers.
Louise Booth
3 months ago
As always, my elderly mom enjoyed her visit immensely. Dr. Grover and his staff are all very friendly, kind, helpful and thorough. My mom is well taken care of and her complex dental needs are carefully and perfectly addressed, ensuring that she too has good oral health and a beautiful smile! Thank you Dr. Grover, Barb, Pauline and all the staff! You are a blessing to my mom!
Rosie M
4 months ago
I love and respect these guys gor all their care and concern.
They squeezed me in for a toothache that needed antibiotics.
The elevator wasn't working at the time and I couldn't walk up the stairs as I am in a wheelchair.
Dr. GROVER came right outside with Barb his assistant and looked at my tooth, gave me a prescription and made arrangements for a tooth canal...
I was a dental assistant myself and I know what I'm talking about.
He is 1 of 2 best dentists in the city.
I highly recommend him and his team.
Rosemary
Shaun Yates
4 months ago
We went to Grover Dental for a second opinion after my wife had years of ongoing tooth pain that multiple visits, scans, X-rays, and root canals never fully resolved at her previous dentist. A new dentist had taken over her old practice and quickly recommended removing the tooth,.. with very little investigation, which didn’t sit right with us.
Dr. Grover wasn’t in yesterday, but another dentist at the office saw her right away and the difference was immediate. They took the time to listen, reviewed her history, and did proper diagnostic work instead of guessing. They were able to pinpoint the exact source of the pain and discovered a cavity underneath an existing filling that had been missed for years.
They treated it properly, fixed the filling, and saved the tooth.., it never needed to be removed.
The entire team was professional, informative, and genuinely cared about getting it right. We’re incredibly relieved and grateful we came here. If you’re dealing with unresolved dental pain or feel rushed into major decisions, I highly recommend Grover Dental.
Daniel Dease-Weitzel Walker
5 months ago
I desperately needed a broken tooth remove that was so painful, the swelling and pain was spread throughout the entire left side of my face.
Dr. Whig and his staff came through for me with quick and friendly service, pain-free extraction that was properly numbed, and answered all my questions without hesitation.
Prices were exactly what was expected and were able to direct-bill my insurance, so I didn't have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement.
I have officially changed dentists to Grover Dental Care with Dr. Whig and his staff based off this experience. Thank you so much.
Melissa Mote
3 months ago
Everyone at Grover has been a pleasure to deal with! They’re very aware of and accommodating of the experience of dental anxiety. I highly recommend their practice if you’re looking to switch providers.
Louise Booth
3 months ago
As always, my elderly mom enjoyed her visit immensely. Dr. Grover and his staff are all very friendly, kind, helpful and thorough. My mom is well taken care of and her complex dental needs are carefully and perfectly addressed, ensuring that she too has good oral health and a beautiful smile! Thank you Dr. Grover, Barb, Pauline and all the staff! You are a blessing to my mom!
Rosie M
4 months ago
I love and respect these guys gor all their care and concern.
They squeezed me in for a toothache that needed antibiotics.
The elevator wasn't working at the time and I couldn't walk up the stairs as I am in a wheelchair.
Dr. GROVER came right outside with Barb his assistant and looked at my tooth, gave me a prescription and made arrangements for a tooth canal...
I was a dental assistant myself and I know what I'm talking about.
He is 1 of 2 best dentists in the city.
I highly recommend him and his team.
Rosemary
Shaun Yates
4 months ago
We went to Grover Dental for a second opinion after my wife had years of ongoing tooth pain that multiple visits, scans, X-rays, and root canals never fully resolved at her previous dentist. A new dentist had taken over her old practice and quickly recommended removing the tooth,.. with very little investigation, which didn’t sit right with us.
Dr. Grover wasn’t in yesterday, but another dentist at the office saw her right away and the difference was immediate. They took the time to listen, reviewed her history, and did proper diagnostic work instead of guessing. They were able to pinpoint the exact source of the pain and discovered a cavity underneath an existing filling that had been missed for years.
They treated it properly, fixed the filling, and saved the tooth.., it never needed to be removed.
The entire team was professional, informative, and genuinely cared about getting it right. We’re incredibly relieved and grateful we came here. If you’re dealing with unresolved dental pain or feel rushed into major decisions, I highly recommend Grover Dental.
Daniel Dease-Weitzel Walker
5 months ago
I desperately needed a broken tooth remove that was so painful, the swelling and pain was spread throughout the entire left side of my face.
Dr. Whig and his staff came through for me with quick and friendly service, pain-free extraction that was properly numbed, and answered all my questions without hesitation.
Prices were exactly what was expected and were able to direct-bill my insurance, so I didn't have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement.
I have officially changed dentists to Grover Dental Care with Dr. Whig and his staff based off this experience. Thank you so much.
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