Charm Dental Brentwood - Burnaby

TMJ Therapy in Burnaby

TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint and TMD stands for Temporomandibular Disorder. TMJ and TMD are both often used to describe the conditions affecting the muscles, nerves and joints of the jaw.
Call 604-227-1221

Jaw pain is not normal.

If jaw pain is part of your everyday life, it may seem normal to you. The truth is, jaw pain is far from normal and may be a symptom of a condition called TMD from one or both of your TMJs. Those are the joints of your lower jaw, called TemporoMandibular Joints. When disease or misalignment occurs, the TMJ and surrounding area becomes inflamed — which is what causes pain and other symptoms.

    What are the signs of TMJ disorder (TMD)?
  • Headaches
  • Earaches, tenderness around the ear
  • Face or jaw pain and tenderness
  • Muscle pain in your neck, shoulders and upper back
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Clicking, popping, or grinding jaw
  • Difficulty chewing, yawning or opening your mouth

How do we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder?

Diagnosis

Treatment of TMD begins with a comprehensive clinical examination, to check your face, jaw, bite, joints, and teeth. During your appointment, we will check for pain and tenderness and listen for clicking or popping when you open and close your mouth, swallow, or chew. If the disorder is diagnosed, a bite splint or night guard is often recommended as the initial treatment.

Treatment and Relief

Our treatment application involves bite splints, which are custom-created plastic mouthpieces, designed to fit over your upper and/or lower teeth. These type of devices prevent the grinding and clenching that often causes or worsens TMD. The splint also realigns the jaw, removing stress on the surrounding area.

Alternative Treatment Options

If a misaligned bite or missing teeth are the cause of your symptoms, we may recommend orthodontics or restorative dental work. If your bite is placing undue pressure on the TMJ’s, we may suggest reshaping individual teeth to redistribute the bite force evenly.

Contact us today

to schedule an initial consultation & exam.

Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.

Frequently Asked Questions

TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint. If this joint becomes misaligned or inflamed we refer to that as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMD for short.
Signs or symptoms of TMD include pain and tenderness in or around the ear, the jaw joint, or the muscles of the jaw, face or temples. Other symptoms are problems opening or closing your mouth, and a clicking, popping, crunching or grinding noise when you chew, yawn or open your mouth. TMDs may be linked with neck pain and headaches.
TMD is caused by a combination of factors like jaw injuries and joint disease, such as arthritis. It’s believed that bruxism (tooth clenching or grinding) and head or neck muscle tension may make TMD symptoms worse. Stress is also a possible factor. However, it is not clear if stress causes TMD or is a result. Other things that may lead to TMDs are partial or full dentures that are not the right fit and certain habits such as fingernail biting and pen or pencil biting. As you can see, there are an array of different causes which makes TMD hard to diagnose. The best way to understand your jaw pain symptoms are to book an appointment.
There are many possible causes of headaches. No doctor will be able to determine the cause of your headache without a physical examination.
Most often, TMJ pain can be treated effectively with non-invasive treatments and therapies. In very rare circumstances, TMD may require surgery. Your health and happiness are both important to us. We will always present you with all of your options, work through the safest and easiest options first, and give you the final decision on what happens next.

Google verified patient reviews

Marlla Lam
6 days ago
My recent visits to Charm Dental are the best experiences at any dental office by far! The office is beautiful and staff are so kind. Everyone in the office is so personable, so it’s easy to feel comfortable. Dr. Ken is extremely knowledgeable, skilled, and so gentle with his work. He really takes his time, and talks you through the process and ensures you’re doing okay. As somebody who has never liked going to the dentist, I’m so happy I’ve found Charm Dental. Dr. Ken and the team are exceptional!
More
Kyungseo Moon
4 months ago
I have tried so many dental treatments from Korea and Vancouver. This clinic is by far the best one I’ve ever had. Everything was on time and it was an extremely professionally. Dr. Christabelle was very friendly and helpful. Gabi is always professional and willing to work with my schedule. I highly recommend this dental clinic
More
Lexa Penndari
1 month ago
Dr. Ken Huh replaced my mercury amalgam filling, which was leaking, with composite. The result exceeded my expectations. Initially, I came to Charm Dental for a consultation, thinking that the tooth had to be pulled. Another specialist had told me that replacing the filling wasn’t an option - that the tooth would split. Dr. Huh was thorough in explaining my options. I left the consultation feeling confident in his abilities, and impressed with his skill (I got to see before-and-after images of work he performed on teeth similar to mine). I elected to replace the filling, and the results are FANTASTIC!! It looks so good. At first I didn’t recognize the post procedure picture as my own tooth - that’s how good it looks :-)
More
Aliya Amershi
2 months ago
BEST DENTIST EVER! Wow, I am so impressed with Dr. Ken and his staff Ashley, Harsh, and team. I have never enjoyed going to the dentist, but my visit was so amazing that I can’t wait to come back. Dr. Ken is extremely thorough, knowledgeable, gentle, caring, respectful, and honest. He explained everything so well and did not try to push anything on me. He also did the cleaning himself so he could carefully inspect all my teeth and it turns out I have no cavities, which I was thrilled about. His equipment is state of the art and the office perfectly clean and pleasant. His staff is so professional and accommodating and friendly. Please do yourself a favor and come here as once you work with Dr. Ken and his team you will never want to go anywhere else.
More
Saul Benary
2 months ago
I'm so happy that I chose this dental office. The staff have always been so friendly, both the assistants and hygienists. The dentists have been very friendly and informative. I'm very impressed with how smooth their operations are and how skilled everyone is at what they do. My service experience here has been excellent every time.
More
Marlla Lam
6 days ago
My recent visits to Charm Dental are the best experiences at any dental office by far! The office is beautiful and staff are so kind. Everyone in the office is so personable, so it’s easy to feel comfortable. Dr. Ken is extremely knowledgeable, skilled, and so gentle with his work. He really takes his time, and talks you through the process and ensures you’re doing okay. As somebody who has never liked going to the dentist, I’m so happy I’ve found Charm Dental. Dr. Ken and the team are exceptional!
More
Kyungseo Moon
4 months ago
I have tried so many dental treatments from Korea and Vancouver. This clinic is by far the best one I’ve ever had. Everything was on time and it was an extremely professionally. Dr. Christabelle was very friendly and helpful. Gabi is always professional and willing to work with my schedule. I highly recommend this dental clinic
More
Lexa Penndari
1 month ago
Dr. Ken Huh replaced my mercury amalgam filling, which was leaking, with composite. The result exceeded my expectations. Initially, I came to Charm Dental for a consultation, thinking that the tooth had to be pulled. Another specialist had told me that replacing the filling wasn’t an option - that the tooth would split. Dr. Huh was thorough in explaining my options. I left the consultation feeling confident in his abilities, and impressed with his skill (I got to see before-and-after images of work he performed on teeth similar to mine). I elected to replace the filling, and the results are FANTASTIC!! It looks so good. At first I didn’t recognize the post procedure picture as my own tooth - that’s how good it looks :-)
More
Aliya Amershi
2 months ago
BEST DENTIST EVER! Wow, I am so impressed with Dr. Ken and his staff Ashley, Harsh, and team. I have never enjoyed going to the dentist, but my visit was so amazing that I can’t wait to come back. Dr. Ken is extremely thorough, knowledgeable, gentle, caring, respectful, and honest. He explained everything so well and did not try to push anything on me. He also did the cleaning himself so he could carefully inspect all my teeth and it turns out I have no cavities, which I was thrilled about. His equipment is state of the art and the office perfectly clean and pleasant. His staff is so professional and accommodating and friendly. Please do yourself a favor and come here as once you work with Dr. Ken and his team you will never want to go anywhere else.
More
Saul Benary
2 months ago
I'm so happy that I chose this dental office. The staff have always been so friendly, both the assistants and hygienists. The dentists have been very friendly and informative. I'm very impressed with how smooth their operations are and how skilled everyone is at what they do. My service experience here has been excellent every time.
More
Charm Dental Brentwood - Burnaby

Request an Appointment Today

Call 604-227-1221