We provide TMJ treatment in London, Ontario, at our family dental office on Aldersbrook Road. If your jaw clicks, aches or locks, or you wake up with a sore face and a headache, the joint may be strained.
TMJ is short for the temporomandibular joint, the hinge in front of each ear. When it is strained, the pain can spread to your head, neck and ears. Our two general dentists find the cause and build a plan to ease it.
The TMJ connects your lower jaw to your skull, and it moves every time you talk or chew. These are the common reasons it gets sore:
Grinding or clenching your teeth, often in your sleep
A bite that does not meet evenly
Stress that makes you clench your jaw during the day
An injury to the jaw or face
Worn or missing teeth that change how the jaw rests
Arthritis in the jaw joint
Pain or tenderness in the jaw, face, or around the ear
A clicking or popping sound when you open or close your mouth
A jaw that locks or feels stuck
Frequent headaches, often in the morning
Worn, flat, or sensitive teeth from grinding
If one or more of these sound familiar, book a visit with our team in London. An exam shows us whether the pain comes from the joint, the muscles or your teeth.
Your first visit is about finding the cause of your pain. Here is what our team checks:
Your symptoms
We ask when the pain started, when it feels worst and how well you sleep.
Your jaw joint and muscles
Our dentist presses gently on the muscles of your face and listens for clicks as you open and close.
Your bite and teeth
We look at how your top and bottom teeth meet, and we check for flat or chipped spots from grinding.
Images when needed
Digital X-rays or a 3D cone beam CT scan, taken right here in our office, show the joint and the bone around it.
A clear plan
Before any treatment starts, you hear what we found and each option in plain words.
Dr. Rand Luka and Dr. Aly Kohlmeier are the two general dentists on our team.
Many people with TMJ pain start their care with a dentist, because the teeth, the bite and the jaw joint all work together. The most common first step is a custom night guard that you wear while you sleep.
If a few teeth meet too hard, we can smooth those spots so your bite spreads the pressure more evenly. When grinding has worn or chipped your teeth, we can repair them.
Our team also shows you jaw stretches and daily habits that ease sore muscles at home. If your jaw needs care that we do not provide, we tell you so and help you find it.
We do not do jaw joint surgery, and most people with TMJ pain never need it. We refer you on if a guard and home care do not ease your pain, or if a scan shows damage inside the joint.
That step may be a visit to a specialist, to a physiotherapist who treats jaw problems, or to your family doctor.
TMD is the name for a problem in the jaw joint or in the muscles that move it. You may notice it as a sore jaw, a click, or a jaw that will not open all the way.
Our page on jaw pain treatment in London, Ontario explains the signs, the causes and when to call us. Start there if your main problem is pain in the joint itself.
Grinding and clenching put heavy force on the jaw joint and the muscles around it. You may not know you grind. Flat or chipped teeth and a tired jaw in the morning are often the first clues.
Stress makes grinding worse for many people, so we also talk about ways to relax your jaw during the day. To learn the signs and how we help, see our page on teeth grinding treatment in London, Ontario.
We make each custom night guard in our in-house dental lab, so it fits your bite closely. To compare night guards and sports guards, see our page on mouth guards in London, Ontario.
A custom night guard helps by:
A guard that fits poorly can make jaw pain worse. We check yours at a follow-up visit and adjust it in our lab if it needs a change.
A few habits can ease sore jaw muscles while your treatment gets started. For more ideas, read how to relieve TMJ pain. If you worry the pain will never end, our post on whether TMJ is treatable explains what to expect.
Eat softer foods
Pick soft foods during a flare-up, and skip gum, hard candy and tough meat.
Use heat or cold
Put a warm cloth on the sore side to relax tight muscles, or a cold pack if it is swollen.
Rest your jaw
Cut down on wide yawns and chewing on one side when the joint feels sore.
Do gentle stretches
We can show you easy jaw exercises, and a physiotherapist can add more.
Notice daytime clenching
During the day, let your lips close and your teeth rest apart.
If the pain comes back often, or home care does not help, call us at 519-472-4460.
Samantha M.
TMJ patient at Luka Dental Care
Our family practice has cared for patients on Aldersbrook Road since 1972. Jaw pain can affect your sleep and your meals, so we take the time to find what is behind it.
Here is why patients choose us:
We look at the joint, the muscles and your bite before we suggest any treatment.
Our lab is in the building, so your night guard is made for your bite and adjusted quickly.
We see you again after your guard is fitted, check how your jaw feels and change the plan if needed.
You do not have to push through jaw pain and morning headaches. Let us find the cause and build a plan to fix it. Call 519-472-4460 or visit our contact page to book a TMJ consultation.
Yes, in many cases. Our dentists check your jaw and bite, make night guards in our own lab and adjust your bite when needed. We answer can a general dentist treat TMJ in more detail in our blog, including when a referral makes sense.
Common signs are jaw pain, a click when you open your mouth and headaches in the morning. Book an exam, and we will check the joint, the muscles and your bite.
Mild jaw pain often eases with rest and soft foods. If the pain comes back or does not ease, come and see us, because a strained joint can get worse over time.
A store-bought guard can help for a short time. Most are made to fit anyone, so they can move around at night. A custom guard from our lab is made for your bite.
It depends on your plan. Before we start, we tell you the cost of each step and help you check what your plan pays.
It depends on the cause of your pain. We check how you feel at a follow-up visit, and we change the plan if the pain does not ease.
2101 Aldersbrook Rd, London, ON N6G 3X1
