Jaw pain is experienced by many people on a daily basis. It is often caused by grinding or clenching the teeth. Injury of the jaw may also lead to pain that doesn’t go away on its own. Even a misaligned bite can cause excruciating pain. This type of pain is collectively known as TMJ disorder. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the main joint of the jaw. When conservative treatments fail to relieve the discomfort of TMJ, it may be time to repair the jaw with Dental Oral Surgery Kittanning PA.
There are two types of TMJ pain pain, muscular and structural. Pain caused by tight or overused muscles is often reversed through massage or by wearing a mouth guard at night. However, if the pain is caused by a structural problem in the jaw itself, these therapies are often not enough. A jaw that clicks when speaking or eating is usually the sign of a misaligned joint. If the jaw frequently pops out of its socket, it needs to be corrected with Dental Oral Surgery Kittanning PA.
During surgery, the oral surgeon may choose to either flush debris out of the joint or rebuild the jaw entirely. Cleaning out the jaw joint with arthroscopic surgery will remove any torn cartilage from the area. A small tube will be inserted into an incision site. Surgical instruments enter the jaw through the tube. While watching a monitor, the surgeon will remove any scar tissue or debris. After the surgery is complete, the small incision is stitched closed.
For more complex situations, the jaw may need to be reset. This type of Dental Oral Surgery Kittanning PA has a longer recovery time, but the results are worth it. The oral surgeon may need to break the jaw bone in order to move it to an optimum position. This is done to correct a poor bite. People who have suffered a traumatic facial injury often need this more invasive surgery in order to regain full mobility of their jaw.
Both types of Dental Oral Surgery Kittanning PA have tremendous success rates. It’s important for patients to follow all instructions after their surgery in order to heal faster. While TMJ is a real pain, specialized surgery may be what you need to make the pain vanish for good.
