Those who have been diagnosed with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) are often well aware of the various treatments available to solve the problem. Often times when treating TMJ, a dentist will use certain technologies, such as the K7 and a TENS system to stabilize the jaw muscles and find out just where your ideal bite should be. Then using a bite splint, your temporomandibular joint is stabilized and kept in a certain position where your bite is no longer causing strain. However, for some, these traditional methods just don’t work. When the easier most well known treatment methods fail some patients, the options seem to become more invasive.
Take For Instance Jaw Implants
Jaw implants have been around since the early 1980s as a method to treating those with severe TMJ. At this time the devices were sparsely regulated because the F.D.A was not yet required to make manufacturers prove their products to be effective and safe to use. Though successful for some, the implants have caused even more pain along with disfigurement for some patients. The conflict surrounding jaw implants is that many believe that the devices used to replace the jaw joint are simply not advanced and researched enough to be offered as a treatment.
Since 1998, there has been a long-time growing history of concerns about jaw implants, especially their effectiveness and their overall safety. Some patients who had been fitted with the implant were often faced with more surgeries to correct a failed implant or have it entirely removed and replaced. While jaw implants have worked for some and been complete failures for others, it’s important to consult a dentist to talk about your TMJ treatment options.
If you have been diagnosed with TMJ disorder, invasive surgery should always be a last resort for TMJ treatment. Work with qualified dentists, such as Spokane’s Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins, who can offer you many different types of TMJ treatment before you consider having jaw surgery. Call Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics at (509) 532-1111 to learn more.
