Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

TMJ Disorders

Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

TMJ Disorders

TMJ Disorder Treatment in Elmhurst

If you’re experiencing jaw discomfort, clicking, stiffness, or chronic facial pain, it might be time to explore TMJ Disorder Treatment in Elmhurst. At Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Drs. Wolf, Moorhead, and VanOven are committed to diagnosing and managing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders using state-of-the-art techniques in care and technology. Whether your symptoms are mild or severe, early evaluation can prevent long-term damage and improve your quality of life.

What Is a TMJ Disorder?

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint—a complex hinge that connects your jaw to your skull at both sides of the head. When these joints or the associated muscles don’t work together properly, you may experience what’s known as a TMJ disorder. Fortunately, TMJ conditions are more easily diagnosed and treated today than ever before, using a combination of self-care and professional tools at our expert clinic in Elmhurst.

The symptoms often include:

Jaw pain or tenderness
A clicking, popping, or grating sound during jaw movement
Trouble chewing or pain when chewing
Facial pain
Difficulty opening your mouth wide

Trouble With Your Jaw?

There are several causes of TMJ disorders. Many individuals may clench or grind their teeth (often during sleep), placing excess strain on jaw muscles and joints. Sometimes, injuries or inflammatory conditions like arthritis can directly affect the joint structure. This may cause the cartilage disc within the joint to move out of alignment, worsening the condition over time.

Common causes include:

Clenching or grinding teeth (bruxism)
Trauma or injury to the jaw
Arthritis in the joint
Misaligned bite or dental structure
Stress-induced muscle tension

Do You Have a TMJ Disorder?

Ask yourself the following:

Do you grind or clench your teeth?
Do you wake up with sore jaw muscles?
Do you have headaches, migraines, or neck pain?
Do you hear popping, clicking, or grating sounds when moving your jaw?
Is it difficult or painful to chew, yawn, or open your mouth fully?
Have you had previous injuries to your jaw, head, or neck?
Do your teeth no longer meet correctly?
Do you have worn, sensitive, or loose teeth?

The more “yes” answers, the more likely it is that you could benefit from TMJ Disorder Treatment in Elmhurst. Our experts will thoroughly evaluate your symptoms and create a personalized treatment plan designed to restore jaw health and comfort.

TMJ Disorder Treatment Options

At Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Elmhurst, we focus on achieving balance and relief through conservative, non-invasive options whenever possible. Once a TMJ disorder is diagnosed, our surgeons—Drs. Wolf, Moorhead, and VanOven—will work with you to determine the most effective course of action.

Initial goals include reducing muscle spasms, decreasing joint pain, and restoring proper jaw function. This is typically achieved through a combination of medication, lifestyle modifications, and professional care.

Non-Surgical TMJ Treatments

We prioritize non-invasive and minimally invasive TMJ treatments before exploring surgical alternatives. Techniques may include:

Medications such as pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxants
Steroid injections into the joint to alleviate pain and inflammation
Self-care methods:

- Resting the jaw (limit talking, chewing, yawning)
- Eating a soft diet
- Applying ice or moist heat packs
- Practicing good posture
- Stress reduction techniques like biofeedback and physical therapy

Protective dental appliances or splints:

- Nightguards to reduce teeth grinding and muscle fatigue during sleep
- Anterior positioning devices that reposition the jaw forward
- Orthotic stabilization appliances worn full-time or at night to restore bite alignment

Stress management techniques such as biofeedback or physical therapy may also be recommended, as well as a temporary, clear plastic appliance known as a splint. A splint (or nightguard) fits over your top or bottom teeth and helps keep your teeth apart, thereby relaxing the muscles and reducing pain. There are different types of appliances used for different purposes. A nightguard helps you stop clenching or grinding your teeth and reduces muscle tension at night. It also helps to protect the cartilage and joint surfaces. An anterior positioning appliance moves your jaw forward, relieves pressure on parts of your jaw, and aids in disk repositioning. It may be worn 24 hours/day to help your jaw heal. An orthotic stabilization appliance is worn 24 hours/day, or just at night, to move your jaw into proper position. Appliances also help protect tooth wear.

Explore our full range of dental procedures including implants

Wisdom teeth removal is another common procedure that may relieve jaw strain and help prevent TMJ disorders, particularly for younger patients.

In addition, sedation and anesthesia options are available to ensure your comfort during treatment and evaluations.

Advanced Bite Correction and Surgical Solutions

In some cases, conservative treatments may not be enough. If your condition impacts the alignment of your teeth or jaw movement significantly, our team may recommend corrective procedures, such as:

Bite Equilibration (fine-tuning the way teeth come together)
Comprehensive orthodontic treatments (with or without jaw reconstruction)
Restorative dental work

For patients who experience severe joint damage, chronic dislocation, or degenerative joint disease, surgical intervention may be advised. These procedures might include:

Arthroscopy – a minimally invasive surgery that allows for joint repairs through small incisions
Open joint repair or restructuring – for cases involving extensive damage or failure of conservative treatments

At Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, surgery is a last resort, only recommended when non-surgical therapies have been exhausted.

The Elmhurst TMJ Specialists You Can Trust

With decades of combined expertise and a patient-centered approach, Drs. Wolf, Moorhead, and VanOven are leaders in TMJ Disorder Treatment in Elmhurst. We are proud to offer a personalized care plan focused on long-term relief and jaw function restoration in a stress-free environment.

Whether your symptoms are new or persistent, early attention can prevent more complex conditions from developing. Our team takes a holistic and professional approach to improving your health—including facial pain relief, bite optimization, and patient education.

We also invite you to follow our office on social media to stay updated on new treatments and patient success stories:

Book a TMJ Consultation in Elmhurst

If jaw pain is interfering with your life, it’s time to seek professional help. Trust Drs. Wolf, Moorhead, and VanOven and the highly skilled team at Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for expert TMJ Disorder Treatment in Elmhurst.

Take the first step towards relief and improved jaw function today by visiting our Google Business Profile where you can check our reviews and location. Our friendly team is here to walk you through every step of your journey toward healing.

Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Procedures

Dental Implants

Feel and Function Like Natural Teeth

Using the most recent advances in dental implant technology, Drs. Wolf, Moorhead, and VanOven are able to place single stage implants. These implants do not require a second procedure to uncover them, but do require a minimum of six weeks of healing time before artificial teeth are placed. There are even situations where the implant can be placed at the same time as the tooth extraction – further minimizing your number of surgical procedures. For years I’d felt like a part of my body was missing — because my teeth were.