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TMJ Treatment

TMJ Dentistry Specialists Washington DC

Treating Jaw Pain, Migraines or a Misaligned jaw Due to TMJ Disorder with Trigger Point Injections and Delivering High Success Rate Care

TMJ and TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder/dysfunction) are descriptive terms used to describe a pain disorder caused by the misalignment of the jaws, which, in turn, results from skewed teeth or the incorrect placement of crowns or other restorations. Many patients with this syndrome suffer from severe chronic or acute jaw pain, because their problems have not been properly addressed.

Experiencing Jaw Pain or Migraines? We Can Help

Your issues may be localized resulting in a gnawing jaw “ache”, or can be more diffuse with referred pain over your eyes or in your temples near the hairline mimicking a migraine headache. You may also experience issues in your teeth imitating endodontic (root canal) symptoms, in your ears with a stuffiness feeling and/or diminished hearing, in your eyes with double vision, or other symptoms.

Having written his master’s thesis on TMJ therapy and TMJ disorders during his prosthodontic specialty training, Dr. Gerald Marlin is uniquely qualified to treat this pain syndrome. In addition, he personally trained under, Dr. Janet Travell, one of the world’s foremost experts in myofascial pain treatment using “trigger point injections”.

See Why We Succeed in Treating TMJ When Other Practices Do Not

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watch: Dr. marlin Discusses TMJ Treatment
Over the years, Dr. Marlin has successfully treated thousands of TMJ patients. Dr. Marlin’s treatments eliminated his patients’ intractable TMJ pain and dysfunction syndrome, and provided them with relief and a new found sense of security that they would not periodically feel debilitated.

If you suspect you are suffering from  TMJ dysfunction, Dr. Gerald Marlin can help. Offering a range of safe and effective treatments, Dr. Marlin can customize a solution that eliminates your jaw joint pain, restores alignment, corrects the bite, relieves muscle pain, teeth grinding, jaw movement, a misaligned bite, and produces lasting comfort. Call us at (202) 244-2101 to schedule a consultation and learn more.

Meet Dr. Marlin

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Why Choose Dr Gerald Marlin?
  • Voted Top Dentist 20 years in a Row by other dentists
  • Dr. Gerald Marlin is a leading specialist in implant, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry.
  • Works closely with his in-house technician to achieve custom aesthetics and a very precise fit.
  • Provides crowns lasting over 35 years (national average approximately 10 years)
  • Over 3,600 surgically inserted and restored dental implants 
Why Choose Elite Prosthetic Dentistry?
  • Experienced team: Gerald M. Marlin, D.M.D., M.S.D and his “Dream Team” of very experienced assistants and technicians working under his proven, strict treatment regimen deliver unmatched implant restoration therapy with one of the highest success rates with implants that are at least 20 years old.
  • Attention to Detail: From precise tooth extraction and Bone Grafting to ideally positioned dental implants in solid bone during Precision Implant Placement) and ending with the insertion of optimal abutments and crowns with ideal emergence profile
  • Experts in Smile Makeovers: With our own In-house Dental Laboratory, Elite is renowned for delivering “simply radiant, simply natural” smile makeovers.

If you think Elite Prosthetic Dentistry is the place for you, Call or Contact us Today!

Your Dental Implant Options in Washington DC 

 

We provide ideally positioned dental implants (see Precision Implant Placement) in reconstructed bone (see Bone Grafting) that are restored with optimum “emergence profile” abutments and “Simply Radiant, Simply Natural” crowns fabricated in ourr In-house Laboratory, which will make you feel and look reinvigorated.! Implant Surgeries with Crowns and Same-Day Implant Therapy are highly sophisticated services that we perform with meticulous care and precision such that, after 3,600 implants surgically inserted and restored, our patients have experienced virtually almost no bone loss over at least a 20-year span.

Understanding Symptoms of TMJ Disorders

Symptoms of TMD that occur directly in or around the joint include:

  • Clicking, popping, or grinding noises in the jaw
  • Pain or swelling around the jaw joints
  • Difficulties opening and shutting the jaw
  • Uneven tooth wear

Other symptoms of this neuromuscular dental issue that may occur in the head and face include:

  • Generalized facial pain
  • Pain behind the eyes
  • Sinus pressure and pain
  • Ear pain and ringing 

Left untreated and TMJ disorders may result in:

  • Neck, shoulder, and back pain
  • Forward projection of the neck
  • Postural changes
  • Digestive issues
TMJ infographic
TMJ Washington DC

Poor posture compresses the abdominal muscles and can lead to serious digestive problems. While not a symptom of TMD, digestive distress brought about by postural changes is not an uncommon consequence of TMJ Disorders.

Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of issues impacting the TMJ do not seem to be related to the jaw. This may result in people seeking treatments that mask the pain, but fail to correct the problem. If you have long struggled with pain in the face, head, or jaw, you may have an undiagnosed TMJ disorder.

At your initial consultation, Dr. Marlin will perform a thorough examination of your occlusion (bite) and all surrounding and supporting muscles. If your bite is not properly aligned, they can perform a simple occlusal adjustment by lightly shaping biting contacts that are higher. In some cases, simply providing harmony between teeth when in contact is all it takes to effectively eliminate TMD, though many other treatment options exist for patients who require a more progressive solution.

watch: Understand How Your Dentist is Best Positioned to Treat Your TMJ
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Delivering High TMJ Success Rates with Trigger Point Injections and Trigger Point Massage Therapy

Dr. Marlin was personally trained on Trigger Point Injection therapy by Janet Travell, MD one the world’s foremost experts with trigger point injection and massage therapy

Dr. Marlin only provides this therapy after a thorough diagnostic workup, adjustment of your bite, the replacement of defective restorations causing the pain, and after first administering massage (shiatsu) therapy and “spray and stretch”. In very severe cases, Dr. Marlin uses trigger point injection therapy while performing these other therapies to help you manage your acute pain.

TMJ Treatment diagrams
From Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual by Janet G. Travell, MD and David G. Simons, MD

What are trigger points?

Trigger points are minute areas of hyperirritability (see illustration showing referred pain areas from one of the many muscles of the jaw). These microscopic trigger points result from hypercontraction of the muscle fibers that prevent nutrition from coming in and waste from being eliminated. This, in turn, can result in extreme irritation and pain. 

How does Trigger point massage therapy work?

Trigger point massage therapy and injection are intended to release the chemical imbalance of the muscles, which often eliminates the pain.

If you have unresolved pain and/or other symptoms as discussed above, Dr. Gerald Marlin can help. Once he has analyzed the problem, Dr. Marlin will be able to customize a solution that corrects your bite and restores any jaw misalignment.  When necessary, he provides massage or injection therapy of the trigger points in the muscles of the jaw.

If you think your pain may be caused by TMD, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Marlin today. Call us at 202-244-2101 We treat TMD/TMJ patients from throughout the Washington D.C. area including Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Rockville and Potomac Maryland as well as Northern Virginia and outlying areas and abroad.

“Dr. Marlin is The Best!

I was in pain and unable to chew on the left side of my mouth for 5 years. I endured 4 root canals – not the problem. I was told it was neurological pain and put on horrible medications – not the problem. Multiple doctors told me I was just going to have to learn to live with the pain. I was referred to Dr. Marlin when issues arose fitting crowns to the four teeth with root canals and while trying to live with the pain.

Dr. Marlin had consults with me and my husband. He listened to me. He diagnosed my issue as muscular/TMJ related. He immediately fitted me with a TMJ night guard. He adjusted my bite slowly and over time. He made custom crowns for my teeth. He performed muscle trigger point therapy. He gave me exercises and I visited with him every 6 months.

I can now chew anything and everything. I never thought I would eat nuts, pretzels, or anything hard again. Dr. Marlin changed my life. I am no longer mentally consumed with my pain. In addition, his office staff is amazing. Everyone is friendly and helpful.

Dr. Marlin is pleasant and thorough. He will work with you always with your best interests in mind. I have zero reservations recommending Dr. Marlin to others.”

-Barbara H.

Night Guards for Bruxism & Neuromuscular Dental Issues

One of the biggest risk factors for TMJ dysfunction is bruxism (tooth grinding). Signs of grinding, such as uneven tooth wear or even recessed gums, may not be noticeable to you. Fortunately, they can be detected during your initial examination with Dr. Marlin or at your biannual cleanings and examinations. If you are a grinder, an occlusal guard may be useful. While not a full TMJ treatment, this option may work well for patients whose primary issue is bruxism.

This occlusal guard also serves as a night guard. Worn while you sleep, it will prevent you from grinding your teeth while gently holding your jaw in its ideal alignment. Over time, this helps retrain your jaw muscles, allowing for a natural bite position and the elimination of the painful and limiting symptoms of TMD.

If a night guard is recommended for you, Dr. Marlin’s team will take an impression of your teeth from which a custom-fit, durable acrylic night guard will be fabricated. We have found that, along with proper occlusion of your natural teeth, a well-fitting and functioning night guard can allow for a significant decrease in headaches, difficulties biting and chewing, and similarly painful and unpleasant issues related to jaw misalignment.

TMJ FAQ's

TMJ stands for the Temporo Mandibular Joint, which is the jaw joint.

TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder, which summarizes a variety of conditions that affect temporomandibular joints, jaw muscles and facial nerves that control jaw movement, although the pain, itself, rarely comes from the joint. Most often, the pain in the head and neck from TMD comes from “trigger points” (minute irritated areas of the muscles), which refers to pain of the head, ear, and neck.

The symptoms can be any one of the following: muscle pain at a particular point; referred pain from that point over the eye mimicking a migraine; to the inner ear creating a “stuffiness” in the inner ear and, sometimes, a decrease in hearing acuity; and muscle aches and other conditions, including double vision. See the text, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, Volume 1.

Usually, the condition is due to a malocclusion (insufficient bite) plus a stressful condition. It could be initiated by faulty dental work if the bite was disrupted by the filling, crown, or other restoration several years prior. It could also be due to shifting of teeth without a diagnosis and/or remedy when the patient complains of discomfort.

It can reduce or eliminate those conditions.

No. A popping jaw joint is usually caused by a tight ligament that is “snapping” over the jawbone and is not usually a cause of any pain.

By first taking a history, then analyzing your occlusion (bite), palpating your muscles to look for trigger points, feeling your jaw joints as you open and close your jaw, and other methods.

The only home remedy is applying hot compresses to the side of the face that is affected, although, without effective in-office treatment, it will have a minimal effect.

Yes. There are jaw stretching excises that we teach you.

An extremely rare treatment.

We rarely prescribe a TMD bite splint while we are correcting our patient’s bite. Once that procedure has been completed, we prescribe a night guard and recommend that that appliance be worn every night without a limitation of duration.

In our office, we recognize that TMD is a widespread condition that requires neuromuscular dentistry or treatment of the teeth, muscles, and joint. Therefore, we believe that it should be an integral part of every practice from a diagnostic perspective and referred to a specialist when necessary.

Usually, according to an individual’s coverage.

Yes, it can, if future restorations are not harmoniously fabricated to work well with the existing dentition, and if a night guard is not continuously worn after TMJ/TMD treatment. Although we cannot alter a person’s habit patterns that created the problem in the first place, that individual can prevent its return by following post-operative instructions.

Not usually, since teeth are being moved. However, for those undergoing Invisalign therapy, the appliance can serve as a night guard, of sorts.

Yes, although that is infrequent, since children are very resilient.

Definitely, if they are not correctly fabricated. A denture needs to have a sound bite and a solid base that does not move as much as possible.

Contact Elite Prosthetic Dentistry Today!

To schedule a TMJ evaluation, call (202) 244-2101. Dr. Marlin helps TMD sufferers in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, as well as patients from all corners of the world. Visit our Fly in for Service page to learn more.