{"id":58,"date":"2017-01-08T00:33:14","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T00:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smilebeautifully.com\/blog\/?p=58"},"modified":"2017-02-08T00:38:05","modified_gmt":"2017-02-08T00:38:05","slug":"tender-swollen-jaws-consider-tmj-therapy-newbury-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smilebeautifully.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/08\/tender-swollen-jaws-consider-tmj-therapy-newbury-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Tender, Swollen Jaws? Consider TMJ Therapy in Newbury Park!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Googling<\/p>\n

After a full eight hours of sleep, you would expect to be well rested and feel rejuvenated for your work week, yet you wake up with a pounding headache and stiff jaws. These symptoms are leaving you mind-boggled. If you\u2019re sleeping through the night, what could possibly be wrong? Unfortunately, you may be suffering from a common malfunction in your joints known as a TMJ disorder, or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD). Dr. Gary Chaffee and his office team at Paraiso Family Dental and Orthodontics offer TMJ therapy in Newbury Park<\/a> that can help you solve this head, neck, and jaw mystery.<\/p>\n

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What is a TMJ disorder?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start by explaining what a \u201cTMJ\u201d is. Temporomandibular joints are triangular-shaped joints made of muscle and cartilage. They are both located on each side of your head, just in front of your ears, and serve the purpose of helping your mouth and jaw open and close with ease. Essentially, they are the \u201cmiddle men\u201d between your jaw and the temporal bone (your skull).<\/p>\n

This function can become interrupted for a multitude of reasons. Some of the most common being extreme stress or a malocclusion (an improper bite). When this happens, the nerve endings become exposed, sending pain signals to our brain.<\/p>\n

Do I have TMJ disorder?<\/h2>\n

Take into consideration some of the factors that may be causing your TMJs to malfunction. The inner workings of our jaws are not only subject to psychological and emotional stress, but physical stress as well. Yes, your TMJs are primarily influenced by your bite and the structure of your jaw. However, a dangerous combination of extra stress and a bit less sleep each night added to a change in your bite, and the whole system could be thrown off balance. Something as small as teeth grinding in Newbury Park could be a physical stressor that can send this critical system into overdrive. Common symptoms of a TMJ disorder<\/a> include:<\/p>\n