Have you ever heard of your temporomandibular joints? No? That’s okay, even though they’re located on either side of the face just in front of the ears, most people haven’t heard of them either. However, if you experience persistent headaches or a host of other painful symptoms, then you may want to spend some time learning about those joints. Dr. Bobby J. Carmen in Norman, OK, treats patients with TMJ disorder, or TMD, so they can get back to living a productive and pain-free life.
Your temporomandibular joints allow you to open and close your mouth, so you can chew, talk, smile, laugh and yawn. If these joints malfunction—whether because of a bite problem that is brought on by misaligned teeth, uneven surfaces on the teeth caused by teeth grinding, or a hard blow to the face—then the consequences can be a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Perhaps the most common symptom is pain when chewing. Other symptoms may include:
- Headaches and migraines
- The feeling of an earache without infection
- Swelling on the side of the face
- A clicking or popping sound when you open your mouth
- Sensitive teeth
- A stiff or locked jaw
- Misaligned teeth or other changes in your bite
TMJ Therapy in Norman, OK
If Dr. Carmen does diagnose you with TMD, then the goals are to arrest it, protect teeth from further damage, and correct underlying bite misalignment. To do this, Dr. Carmen may prescribe an oral appliance that you’ll wear at night to reduce stress on your jaw. You’ll also want to avoid eating hard and chewy foods, slouching—good posture can alleviate pain in your head, neck and shoulders—and stressful situations as much as possible, which naturally cause people to clench their teeth.
Call Our Office Today
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, then call Dr. Bobby Carmen today to schedule a consultation to determine if the cause is TMD. Dr. Carmen serves patients in Norman, OK, as well as the surrounding communities of Moore, the University of Oklahoma, and central Oklahoma and beyond.
There are so many things parents do to protect their children: buckle them into car seats, vaccinate them from childhood diseases, hold their hands when crossing the street, and the list goes on. One more important measure parents can take is regular visits to the dentist. 
Root canal. Just saying those two words can run chills down your spine. The truth is, however, a root canal is meant to stop the chills down your spine by halting the pain and discomfort that accompanies an infected tooth. Moreover, a 
It’s not too late to make one more New Year’s resolution: smile more. But if your smile isn’t as white and bright as you’d like, that may be a difficult resolution to keep. So, why not consider doing something to make that resolution a cinch? 
Wouldn’t it be nice to find a dentist who provides a one-stop shop for all of your family’s dental needs? Yes. Well in that case, you’ve come to the right place! 
The first job of a dentist is to preserve oral health and prevent problems. But when problems do arise—and most people don’t go through life without at least a few dental problems—it’s important to restore your oral health and your smile. When those dental problems happen, there are a number of procedures that fall into the category of restorative dentistry. 
If your smile doesn’t make you happy, then perhaps you should consider 
Whether you need a routine teeth cleaning or a more specialized treatment, 
Are you willing to admit that the thought of going to the dentist makes you a little nervous? Or actually, are you just plain fearful of the dentist and have consequently delayed and avoided a long overdue dental check-up? Well, with 
Oops! You just chipped a tooth. Or perhaps you have a tooth that has always been misshapen or misaligned. There’s no reason to settle for a smile that is less than what you want it to be. With the modern dental treatment of