Focus on Smiles Blog

The chronic headaches that accompany temporomandibular joint disorder (also known as TMD or TMJ) can be so agonizing that they are often misdiagnosed as migraines.

TMD is caused by a misalignment of the jaw that forces excessive strain on the muscles, nerves and joints in the region where your jaw connects to your skull. This misalignment can generate sharp, shooting pain in your face, neck, back, shoulders and arms.

Particular to the crippling headaches that are symptomatic of TMD is the fact that your trigeminal nerve, which registers feeling in your face and is used in biting, chewing and swallowing, lies amid the sensitive region where your temporomandibular joint connects your jaw and skull.

When you suffer from headaches caused by TMD, Edmonton dentist Dr. Christine Fialka-Eshenko can offers options to help you correct the problem without prescription pain relievers by using the principles of neuromuscular dentistry. Prescription pain relievers offer a temporary solution to the symptoms of a long-term problem. Neuromuscular dentistry treats the cause, preventing future occurrences of pain.

Using a transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation (TENS) unit, Dr. Fialka-Eshenko can relax your jaw and determine your optimal bite position. Once determined, she can customize a treatment option that will properly realign your jaw and provide you relief from migraine-like headaches.

If you live in the Edmonton, Alberta, area and suffer from severe headaches that have otherwise evaded diagnosis, please contact Dr. Fialka-Eshenko at Focus on Smiles to schedule a TMD consultation.