The temporomandibular joints that hinge your jaw are sophisticated enough to allow your mouth to move and apply complex forces. This allows you to speak clearly, chew and grind food, as well as make many common facial expressions. When discomfort, inflammation or dysfunction develops in these joints, it is often given the blanket term TMJ disorder. There are several potential... read more »

Although it seems simple to open and close our mouths, there is actually a complex process required for this ability to take place. Within our jaw, temporomandibular joints, also called TMJs, use ball and socket joints that work in unison with ligaments, muscles, discs, and bones to create a finely-tuned mechanism to accomplish the task. Due to the complex nature... read more »

Bruxism is the act of clenching or grinding your teeth. There are two main types of bruxism, with one occurring with you are asleep and one occurring while awake. If you suffer from sleep bruxism, only after you have signs of damage may you perhaps finally see the first indicator you suffer from it.  Don’t wait until your teeth and... read more »

TMJ disorder is a general term used to describe pain or other discomfort associated with the temporomandibular joints that hinge your jaw. These joints are very sophisticated and, in many cases, have pain or inflammation issues arise from seemingly mundane sources. Your dentist, Dr. Carl McMillan, often starts addressing TMJ disorder symptoms with basic lifestyle modifications. Oftentimes, this includes eating... read more »

Do you ever experience tightness or tension in your jaw when you wake up? Do you ever suffer from mild irritation or extreme pain in your jaw? Do you have similar pain or discomfort in your throat or in your neck? If so, you could be suffering from TMJ disorder, which is often referred to as temporomandibular joint disorder. As... read more »

The temporomandibular joints hinging your jaw are sophisticated. They incorporate a cartilaginous disk and a concert of muscles and ligaments to enable you to bite, chew and grind food. The TMJ disorder is a general term used to describe an ache, pain, or general dysfunction in these joints. Identifying the primary cause of the problem can help increase treatment success.... read more »

You probably know that the health of your mouth can actually affect your overall health. For example, you may have heard that gum disease can lead to issues such as gum disease, heart disease, or even lung disease. But did you know that issues in your mouth can also lead to issues such as frequent headaches? In fact, consistent jaw... read more »

What do you know about TMJ? Did you know that TMJ is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull? If this joint is damaged or not working properly, you may experience pain in your jaw, a clicking or popping sound, ear pain, headaches, and sore, stiff jaw muscles, These symptoms don't necessarily mean you do have TMJ, but... read more »

Most adults that grind their teeth do so as a result of stress. Chronic night grinding can pose multiple threats to your mouth. The unnatural forces exerted by grinding your teeth can cause your bite pattern to meet improperly and result in chips on one or more teeth. Even if the chip doesn’t give you pain the compromised surface is... read more »

Are you finding your jaw sore in the morning after grinding your teeth at night? If this is something you are currently experiencing, it can pose a significant number of threats to your long-term oral health. The unnatural tension from constant teeth grinding can cause inflammation and soreness in the muscles and ligaments of your temporomandibular joints that hinge your... read more »