Tinnitus from TMD
Tinnitus, or ringing of the ears, is something everybody experiences at some time in their lives to some degree. For many people, tinnitus is severe enough to send them to seek medical help. Tinnitus is frequently a symptom of an underlying condition, like temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. While tinnitus from TMD is usually not life threatening, tinnitus may point to something much more serious.
If you suffer from tinnitus that is persistent and disrupts your daily life, a qualified neuromuscular dentist is able to help. St. Louis tinnitus relief specialist, Dr. Quigless will diagnose and treat your tinnitus from TMD.
Degrees of Tinnitus
Tinnitus is defined as a ringing, or other noises, in the ears that you perceive, but are not related to external noise. There are two forms of tinnitus:
- Objective tinnitus is actual noise heard by the patient, such as blood vessel noise or other internal activities near the ear.
- Subjective tinnitus is more common and occurs anywhere in the auditory pathway to the brain. The sounds vary in description from ringing, swooshing, clicking, or other noises dissociated from the outside environment.
Diagnosing Tinnitus
The key to successfully treating tinnitus is diagnosing the underlying causes. Neuromuscular dentistry is dedicated to diagnosing and treating disorders of the temporomandibular joint, of which tinnitus is one symptom.
TMD is caused by misalignment of the jaw joint, due to missing teeth, trauma to the jaw, or disease processes. Other signs and symptoms that occur along with tinnitus may point to TMD, such as:
- Frequent headaches
- Clicking noises when chewing or talking
- Problems with the jaw locking
- Pain
- Jaw stiffness
Successfully diagnosing the presence of TMD will help Dr. Quigless develop a treatment plan to resolve the underlying causes and alleviate tinnitus from TMD.
Some of the diagnostic tools used by Dr. Quigless include:
- Radiological exams
- Physical examination and palpitation
- Computerized posture analysis
Treating TMD
Your specific treatment plan will be tailored to addressing the underlying factors that cause your TMD. Once those are determined Dr. Quigless may choose from one or more of the following options:
- Orthodontia to realign your bite to alleviate stress on your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ
- Customizing a mouth guard to retrain your jaw back to its natural position
- TENs stimulus therapy to relax tense muscles controlling the TMJ
- Surgery if necessary
Tinnitus from TMD can be a constant nuisance, but it is treatable. If you suffer from tinnitus and want relief, please contact St. Louis neuromuscular dentst, Dr. Quigless today to schedule an initial consultation.
(314) 244-3751
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8083 Manchester Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63144
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