Your mouth is a system that is comprised of several parts: the teeth & gums, the muscles that move your jaw, and your jaw joints (TMJ). If one of these parts is compromised, it affects the rest of the system. If one or both of your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are affected, it can present as jaw pain, jaw clicking or popping, crunching noise upon opening/closing, jaw deviation upon opening/closing, tooth wear, tooth breakage, headaches, muscle soreness and tension. Sometimes, the symptoms are so slight, the patient is unaware of their existence or blames the symptoms on other causes.

In order to for your dental work to last predictably, this system must be stabilized and in working order before any dental work is started. This may involve "equilibrating" your bite. This procedure includes conservatively grinding your teeth so that your cusp tips meet the opposing teeth where they should and all at once. This relieves the muscles of trying to adjust an "off" bite (which can relieve muscle tension and headaches) and also places the jaw joints in their proper position in the joint (which can prevent damage to the bone or disc in the joint).

Bite splints and/or nightguards are another treatment option. There are many different types for different jaw problems, but the basic idea is that they will hold your jaw in its proper position to relieve your muscles and protect your teeth and TMJ. Sometimes splints are worn for a period of time before your teeth are equilibrated. Nightguards are worn during sleep, and can function to keep the jaw joints in place, prevent wear on teeth from grinding, prevent clenching and relieve headaches and muscle soreness in your jaw muscles.

Jaw clicking, popping, a crunching paper noise upon opening or closing, limited opening or jaw locking can sometimes indicate a more serious problem with the joint(s), ligaments and/or tissues surrounding the joint. If the disc is out of position, you may hear a click or pop on opening or closing. Depending on the severity of the click, the presence/abscence of pain, and many other factors, this can be treated with a range of options, from NSAIDs to splints to surgery in some extreme cases. Most problems are able to be treated very conservatively without ever having to resort to surgery. Usually, after wearing a splint for a period of time, the inflammation in the TMJ will be reduced enough to go ahead and stabilize the newfound postion of the jaw and occlusion, either through equilibration or restorations (crowns).

Due to their complexity, TMJ problems are hard to diagnose and sometimes treat.The management of a TMJ condition is often times the best (and only) treatment available. Treating TMJ problems usually takes time and a level of commitment from the patient. The concepts presented here are extremely general in nature and only offer a small portion of information to provide two or three basic occlusal concepts. Any occlusion or TMJ problem a person may have requires that they visit their dentist for a thorough exam and treatment.