TMJ Health Overview

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TMJ & Facial Pain Relief

Your initial TMJ consultation is Free and I am offering $250.00 off your TMJ MAGO Therapy Treatment Plan. Hello, I’m Dr. James Segulyev, DDS and have been treating TMJ disorder with exceptional results since 2001.

If you believe that you may have TMJ/TMD or if you already know you are suffering from TMJ disorder symptoms and want to explore your treatment options, I’d love to help you. Or, if you know someone that is suffering from TMJ, I invite you to share this information because this specialized MAGO treatment protocol may be able to help them.

I developed a special interest in helping patients who suffer from bite problems, facial pain, headache pain, and TMJ disorders. I completed the curriculum of study at The Spear Institute for Advanced Dental Education, generally regarded as one of the premiere post-graduate comprehensive dental training experiences in the world. I am also a graduate of The Stewart Center for Minimally Invasive Dental Medicine, formerly The Texas Center for Occlusal Studies and Minimally Invasive Dentistry.

One of the questions that I get asked the most is, what is the best way to treat TMJ?
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder can be painful and challenging to live with. Therefore, it’s understandable that after weeks, months, or years of dealing with debilitating symptoms, patients with TMJ are often in search of fast relief. Yet, at the same time, they want to avoid surgery at all costs due to its invasive nature and lengthy recovery.

The particular type of Oral Appliance Therapy that I use here at Segulyev Dental Arts is called MAGO Therapy. While there are a lot of TMJ treatment options out there, not all of them are actually proven to be effective. MAGO Therapy, on the other hand, is backed by real clinical data and scientific evidence. Over the years of being a dentist, I’ve found that MAGO Therapy is truly one of the fastest, most effective and PROVEN methods for treating TMD symptoms. Most of my patients are able to obtain relief within a very short period of time (just a few weeks or less) and their symptoms either subside substantially or are eliminated entirely.

What Is MAGO Therapy?
MAGO Therapy is a form of Oral Appliance Therapy. MAGO stands for Maxillary Anterior Guided Orthotic. A MAGO is a device that is worn over the front teeth and adjusted weekly. With this method, the teeth can successfully be kept apart. This reduces inflammation and allows the chewing muscles to relax so the jaw joints can regain stability. Every week, calculated adjustments are made, allowing the TMJs to move into a healthy position. During this time, I observe and record the position of the patient’s jaw (also known as the hinge axis).

How MAGO Therapy Provides Lasting TMJ Pain Relief?
The TMJs are the two joints on either side of your face that are responsible for the functioning of your jaw. When these joints are healthy, you are able to move your jaw freely and speak, chew, and swallow without discomfort. When they are unhealthy, moving your jaw can become painful and difficult, and eventually lead to TMD symptoms like headaches, teeth grinding, and facial pain. Thanks to science, we now know that there is a direct relationship between the health of these joints and jaw alignment. The upper and lower teeth must come together correctly for the joints to remain healthy. Misalignment of the bite can cause the TMJs to become unstable. The chewing muscles spasm and contract erratically, causing a great deal of pain. In order to reverse this dysfunction, the teeth must be kept apart so the chewing muscles can relax and the TMJs can once again become stable. This is precisely what MAGO Therapy accomplishes.

Benefits of MAGO Therapy:
MAGO therapy is used to stabilize dysfunctioning jaw joints and muscles. The primary benefits of this form of Oral Appliance Therapy are:
● It provides relief from symptoms: Debilitating symptoms can be reduced or even eliminated entirely.
● It allows for an accurate diagnosis: Once the jaw joints are stable, an accurate diagnosis can be obtained, and a treatment plan can be devised thereafter.

With my training and expertise, including ongoing continuing education course work to sharpen my skills and acquire the latest advancements in Bioesthetic Rejuvenation Dentistry, I offer a variety of treatment options to restore worn, damaged and missing teeth with exceptionally functional aesthetic results.

What Are the Next Steps in TMJ Treatment?
Once the jaw joints are stable (which usually happens about 4-12 weeks into treatment), we can move on to the next steps. I can give you an accurate diagnosis of the root cause of your symptoms and create a treatment plan that keeps your teeth and jaw joints healthy. It’s important to note that while MAGO Therapy can help relieve TMJ symptoms, it is not a cure. It is simply a stepping stone, albeit an effective one. In order for you to regain full health, we will need to address all of the issues that led to your symptoms in the first place.

What is TMJ?

“TMJ” is a popular term used to describe a disorder of the jaw joints, chewing muscles and bite. Symptoms masquerade as a multitude of other problems such as sinus headaches, migraines, neck and shoulder stiffness, earaches and tooth problems. These symptoms are caused by an instability in your jaw joint and can be successfully treated at my dental practice.

TMD (TMJ dysfunction) is the dental term describing a collection of symptoms, which result when the chewing muscles, bite and jaw joints do not work together correctly.

TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joints. These are the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull. When these joints are not functioning as designed, they can cause many problems, such as:

  • Clicking or popping noises
  • Pain to opening or closing the jaw
  • Locking or limited opening of your mouth

Muscle spasm goes hand-in-hand with displaced jaw joints. Because the nerves and muscles are so complex in this area, when these muscles are in spasm, the problems can be far-reaching. People suffer from symptoms they would never think to associate with their bite such as:

  • Headaches
  • Pain behind the eyes
  • Dizziness
  • Earaches or ringing of the ears
  • Clenching or grinding of the teeth
  • Worn, broken loose and chipped teeth
  • Neck, shoulder, or back pain
  • Numbness, or tingling of the fingers

The primary problem can be in the joints themselves; the muscles of the face and jaw; the bite (how the teeth fit and work for chewing) or a combination of these. Because the symptoms masquerade as so many other conditions, many people travel from doctor to doctor in search of relief. It is estimated that as many as 10-15% of Americans suffer from one or more of these symptoms. Many never think to seek a dentist trained in TMD for help.

What is a Stable and Unstable Chewing System?

If you want to learn more about the difference between a stable and an unstable chewing system, check out our article in our wellness blog.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorder

Patients who suffer from TMD/TMJ Disorder may report a wide range of symptoms which include but are not limited to:

  • Difficulty opening and/or closing the mouth
  • Pain while chewing foods, especially those which are hard or crunchy
  • Chronic pain in the face or jaw area
  • Recurrent headaches or migraines
  • Feeling tired in the jaw area
  • Jaw clicking and/or popping noises
  • Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding and clenching
  • Swelling of the facial muscles
  • Insomnia or frequent sleep interruptions

Focused on Diagnosis & Treatment of TMJ Disorders

Diagnosis of TMD involves a thorough history; an examination of the jaw joint and chewing muscles; evaluating joint noises; and checking the teeth and bite for wear and proper alignment. Additional records may include study models for detailed bite analysis and imaging such as Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT).

In order to treat TMD, I must first identify the biological issues which are causing dysfunction. Then, using the principles of Bioesthetic Rejuvenation Dentistry as a guideline, I create a customized treatment plan tailored to the unique needs of my patient. My approach is health-centered, taking the whole person into consideration. Using Minimally Invasive Dentistry, I work to stabilize the jaw joint, improve the patient’s comfort, and reduce the severity of their symptoms. Then, I implement corrective actions to address the root cause of their condition and prevent its return.

The first step in the diagnostic process is to perform a Bite Analysis. This is a detailed examination that allows me to inspect the patient’s teeth, jaw, jaw joints, and chewing muscles, and understand the way in which the teeth come together. After a Bite Analysis, the patient is usually prescribed some form of TMJ Therapy. Often, this includes the use of an oral appliance such as a bite splint, which I described above called MAGO Splint Therapy.

Next, steps are taken to restore the natural biology of the dental system. After all, it is these biological issues which led to the development of TMD in the first place. Failing to address them would undoubtedly result in the return of their symptoms. Any number of minimally invasive techniques may be used to accomplish this including bite balancing, Biomimetic Dentistry, orthodontics, restorative dentistry, and other methods of Bioesthetic Rejuvenation.

Conservative Techniques & Biological Science

I believe that providing my patients with this type of customized and individualized dental care allows them to achieve better, longer lasting results. Using conservative techniques grounded in biological science provides the pathway not only to better dental health, but better health overall.

Since the teeth, jaw joints, and muscles can all be involved, treatment for this condition can vary and will usually involve several phases. The first phase is to relieve the muscle spasm and pain and stabilize the jaw joint in the jaw socket. Often a temporary device known as a “bite splint” is worn over the teeth until the muscles relax and the pain is relieved. Once your jaw joint is stabilized, the second phase is to evaluate your bite for corrective options so you are not dependent on the “bite splint” for comfort and stability.

Permanent correction involves refitting your bite and teeth with minimally invasive bonding materials – in some cases, building crowns on the teeth and/or orthodontics are needed. Rarely, if the jaw joint itself is damaged, it may need surgical care. Ultimately, Dr. Segulyev can stabilize your bite so that the teeth, muscles, and joints all work together naturally for optimal long-term health and comfort.

Best Dentist In Dallas

If you’re looking for a highly experienced TMJ Dentist that specializes in diagnosis and treatment of TMJ Disorders, I would love the opportunity to meet you and discuss your concerns. Call (972) 661-3666 to schedule your appointment. Though my office address is Dallas, I am located in the North Dallas area and I regularly see dental patients from the North Dallas Area, in addition to Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Denton, Richardson, Grapevine, and the surrounding areas of Garland, Sachse, Carrolton, Murphy, Wylie, Preston Hollow and Central Dallas area of Highland Park and more. If you’re searching for a Dentist Near Me in North Dallas area, I am passionate about helping people live a better life and have a more fulfilling future through optimal dental health. My practice offers a variety of treatment options with exceptional aesthetic results.