Physiologic Dentistry & TMJ Treatment in Palm Beach County
Treating the cause rather than just the symptoms for sustainable health.
Are Your Jaw Pain and Headaches the Sign of Something More Serious?
You may be suffering from TMJ disorder and not even know it.
What Is TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorder is an often misdiagnosed condition of the jaw that causes headaches, facial pain, and overall discomfort. Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your lower jaw to your cranium (skull), allowing you to chew and talk. When this joint is inflamed or misaligned, it can cause severe pain and health complications caused by TMJ disorder (TMD). This disharmony of the bite (AKA malocclusion) also occurs due to a dislocated jaw disc, which restricts proper movement.
What Causes TMJ Disorder?
TMJ disorders are typically caused by a misaligned jaw due to:
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Trauma
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Excessive stress
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Arthritis of the TMJ
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Whiplash injury
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Postural abnormality
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Congenital jaw abnormalities
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Mid-face deficiency
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Mouth breathing
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Tongue posture
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Bruxism (teeth grinding)
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Unaligned teeth
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Thumb sucking
Your Physiologic Dentist - Dr. Rudnick
Combining his advanced training and years of experience to become the authority in TMJ in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, and the surrounding areas.
Muscles + Joints + Teeth = Neuromuscular Dentistry
It’s all about harmony when establishing the neuromuscular or physiologic bite results.
Physiologic dentistry involves years of extra specialty training to address proper jaw alignment and movement to relieve TMJ disorder symptomsLearn more about how we treat TMJ. Dr. Rudnick studied at the world-renowned LVI Global InstituteOpen website in the new window to understand the complex connection between the facial muscles, bite, and teeth. He works with the hard and soft tissue, muscles, and nerves of the face to realign your jaw for optimal function. This also includes the articular disk, which allows for more comfortable opening/closing, chewing, and speaking.
Our caring and gentle physiologic dentistRead more in our blog has years of experience helping the Palm Beach County community relieve TMJ pain. We treat the cause and not just the symptoms and give you the best available options through ongoing education in modern dentistry. Contact us to book a TMD consultation or request our free e-book to learn more.
What Are the Symptoms of TMD?
TMJ disorder affects more than 25% of the population.
You may be suffering from TMD symptoms but not even know it. Many people assume their headaches, migraines, or facial pain are temporary and can be slept off, but symptoms may recur and affect day-to-day routines. This indicates a more serious issue and warrants a visit to your local TMJ specialist.
If you suffer from any of these TMJ signsRead more about TMJ in our blog, please contact your physiologic dentist, Dr. Rudnick. Symptoms are vast and may vary, which makes it difficult for traditional dentists and doctors to diagnose TMD.
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Facial pains/muscle spasms
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Pain/tenderness around the jaw
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Joint sounds (popping/clicking)
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Limited jaw motion
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Jaw locking open or closed
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Pain behind the eyes
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Teeth grinding or clenching
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Abnormal swallowing
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Uncomfortable “off ” bite
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Deviation of jaw to one side
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Inability to comfortably open/close mouth
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Dizziness/vertigo
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Ringing in the ears or ear congestion
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Visual disturbances
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Insomnia and difficulty sleeping
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Tingling in hands/fingers
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Back and neck pain
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Postural problems
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Teeth sensitivity to cold temperatures
People with temporomandibular dysfunctions frequently report symptoms of depression, affected sleep quality, and a decrease in energy. It may also interfere with personal relationships and normal social activities.
If TMD is left untreated, it can result in serious problems, including:
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Chronic jaw pain
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Continued headaches
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Tooth loss
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Digestive issues
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Heart problems
How Is TMD Diagnosed?
With a correct and accurate diagnosis, we are able to relieve your TMD symptoms.
TMD is not always easy to diagnose and may take a combination of medical and oral exams to determine if your symptoms are due to a TMJ disorder. Many times medical doctors believe TMJ pain is simply a migraine. However, when traditional medical treatment fails, it becomes apparent to a physiologic dentist the real cause is TMD.
When this occurs, Dr. RudnickLearn more about our dentist may use a range of common examinations to help diagnose the issue, including one or more of the following:
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X-rays
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Dental examination for bite alignment
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Head and neck evaluation
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Possible MRI/CT scan
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Posture/postural examination
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TMJ & muscle palpitation
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BioPAK bite tracking
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Sonography
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Electromyography
After we conclude TMD is the cause of your pain, we recommend the right course of treatment. We see people from all over the US for TMJ treatment because of our expertise and encourage you to take the first step today.
TekscanOpens a new window to the Tekscan website is a sensor that computer-generates the exact amount of force a patient places on each tooth when biting. This innovative technology allows Dr. Rudnick to accurately consider functional data, which helps us understand why your teeth are hurting, cracked, or worn down.
Currently, only 2% of dental practices use Tekscan, which is why many patients don’t receive an accurate diagnosis for jaw problems. Due to our commitment to excellence, we believe the Tekscan sensor is imperative for analyzing your bite and jaw pain.
Read reviews from our current patients.
Life-Changing TMJ Treatment in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
The goal is to permanently free you from the aches and pains associated with this disorder.
Dr. Rudnick strives to treat the cause of TMJ disorder/TMD rather than just manage the symptoms. Using his advanced physiologic training, your dentist can relieve muscle pain and readjust your bite.
Treatments depend on your needs and may include phase I, phase II, or no treatment at all. Here are the basics of how our expert typically treats this condition:
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Bite Tracking with BioPAK
Dr. Rudnick uses BioPAK computerized jaw tracking to analyze your bite position and surrounding muscle activity. This diagnostic tool helps our dentist determine the severity of your TMJ disorder and how to best proceed with treatment.
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Relieve Muscle Pain and Spasms
Using a computerized muscle-relaxing unit (TENS), Dr. Rudnick can help relax the muscles around the jaw using ultra low frequency. This non-invasive treatment is an approximately one-hour therapy in the office.
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Cold Laser Therapy
Another non-invasive treatment for TMD involves low-level wavelengths to target and stimulate muscles and tissues around the jaw joint. In turn, this helps increase blood flow, reduce inflammation and pain, and promote healing. Our cold laser therapy is quick, painless, and FDA-approved.
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Stabilize the Bite - Phase 1
Our TMJ dentist uses state-of-the-art technology to determine if your symptoms are caused by a misaligned bite (malocclusion) and finds the optimal position for your jaw.
Using specialized orthotic mouthguards, Dr. Rudnick moves you bite into the ideal position to provide stability and pain relief.
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Manage the Bite Long-Term - Phase 2
Our TMJ dentist offers a range of effective solutions in addition to muscle relaxation therapies.
These include:
- Stress management
- Jaw exercises
- Posture pump
- Orthotics (custom-made mouthguards or splints)
- Cold laser therapy
- Orthodontics (controlled arch braces)
- Medications
- Dental restorations (bridges, crowns, fillings, implants)
Finally, a plan is put in place to continue monitoring and adjusting your treatment. Our goal is to ensure your bite stays in a comfortable position to stop headaches and jaw pain.
We are your experts for TMJ in Palm Beach GardensOpens a new window to the google maps, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, and the surrounding areas. We’re improving smiles and improving lives. Get started today!
Watch these short videos to hear life-changing testimonials from real TMJ patients.
‘‘My TMJ pain was so bad, to the point where I was in tears. In a little over a week, the pain is almost gone. I feel so much better."
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