Temporomandibular joint disorder impacts countless lives by causing a host of debilitating symptoms that leave many struggling to maintain a decent quality of life. Desperate for relief, many sufferers are pushed toward painful surgical procedures that don’t always prove successful.
According to researchers at the Department of Surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, the role of TMJ surgery is ill-defined. To combat this problem, they recently introduced a new classification dividing temporomandibular joint disorders into five categories of varying degrees to help guide health practitioners, who are responsible for prescribing treatments.
The Australian researchers hope the new classification will help create a universal standard that will prompt clinicians to prescribe surgery based on evidence rather than conjecture.
An Alternative to Surgery
Unfortunately, TMJ surgery comes with a hefty price tag, which includes significant pain and lengthy downtime. Because TMD symptoms are so trying, some people are willing to accept these side-effects. That said, all too often, patients endure TMJ surgery only to discover that their symptoms continue to linger.
On the other hand, countless TMD sufferers have found very real, lasting relief when they receive a non-invasive treatment that targets the source cause of the problem: a misaligned bite.
Life is too short to endure the unpleasant symptoms associated with temporomandibular joint disorder. If you’ve been fighting a daily battle against pain, tinnitus, swelling, tenderness in the face and/or clicking and popping in the jaw; now is the time to reach out for help.
Smile Columbia provides an effective TMD treatment strategy that allows patients to live life to the fullest, without the trying symptoms that make every day a constant struggle. To learn how you can enjoy lasting TMD relief, call us at (803) 781-9090 or contact our office today.
