TMJ syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms commonly found together but every TMJ symptom does not always occur with every patient. The signs and symptoms can be confusing since they are very numerous and often overlap with other syndromes. The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. They know that many TMJ patients are kind of lost in space and need someone to assist in them in planning their TMJ treatment. Success will depend on the patient, the dentist and all associated medical specialists working together as a team.

          Common symptoms of TMJ Syndrome are: TMJ headache on the side of the head and top of the neck, jaw clicking, jaw popping, or grinding noises in the jaw joints, limited opening, deviation on opening, sensitive teeth, insomnia, sore jaw muscles, stuffy ears, stiff jaw and tooth grinding. Patients are primarily concerned about their headaches and many know they have a TMJ disorder because of the location of their pain over a chewing muscle called the temporalis. TMJ patients generally also grind their teeth and often snore.

            Severe TMJ Syndrome symptoms are: TMJ dizziness, tinnitus, swallowing difficulty, jaw locking, facial swelling, TMJ migraines, pressure in front of the ears, TMJ pain along with difficulty speaking and yawning. Many patients are temporarily or chronically incapacitated with problems. Unfortunately, most physicians are not familiar with dental problems and often misdiagnose this problem. This leads many patients from doctor to doctor before the TMJ disorder is found. The ENT physician is often the first doctor to evaluate because of ear pain or ringing in the ears, however, the ear findings tend to be normal. Hopefully, the ENT will refer to a knowledgeable dentist soon.

         Common signs of TMJ Syndrome are an assymetrical face, dished out profile, postural problems, torus mandibularis or exostosis, steeply angled jaw bones, forward head posture, flattened areas on the teeth, speech abnormalities, numbness of the finger tips, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Bell's Palsy, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, deep creases above the chin, sores at the corners of the lips, Mitral Valve Prolapse, and notched out areas on the front gum areas of the teeth called abfractions. If you would like to find out what our TMJ Dentist, Dr. Mark Padolsky, can do for you, schedule a consultation at 404-874-7428.