Treatment
TMJ Therapy
Jaw tension, clicking, morning headaches, teeth wearing flat. We look for the cause rather than treating around it.
TMJ therapy addresses problems with the temporomandibular joints, the two hinges connecting your jaw to your skull, and with the muscles and bite that load them. Symptoms rarely announce themselves clearly. They arrive as headaches on waking, a jaw that clicks or locks, ear discomfort with nothing wrong in the ear, or front teeth that have quietly worn flat.
Diagnosis comes first, and it is the part that most often gets skipped elsewhere. We examine the joints and muscles, study how your teeth meet, look for the wear patterns that reveal what your jaw does at night, and image the joints where needed. Treatment then follows the finding: a custom night guard to absorb clenching forces, bite adjustment to remove the interference driving the strain, muscle therapy, and where wear has already changed the bite, restorative work to rebuild it.
Relief from the daily symptoms is the immediate benefit, and for patients who have been waking with headaches for years it is significant. The longer-term benefit is protective. Untreated clenching and grinding will keep flattening enamel, fracturing teeth, and undoing dentistry, including cosmetic work. Stabilizing the bite protects everything built on top of it.
EMVITAL + EMFACE TMJ
TMJ Rescue Treatment
Two powerful technologies. One complete approach to TMJ pain relief.
EMVITAL TMJ
High-intensity laser therapy that targets pain & inflammation at the source.
EMFACE TMJ
RF + HIFES™ technology that relaxes jaw muscles, reduces tension, and improves function.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about TMJ Therapy.
Anyone with jaw pain or tightness, clicking or popping when opening, a jaw that catches or locks, recurring morning headaches or facial soreness, unexplained ear or temple discomfort, or visible wear, chipping, and flattening across the teeth. It is also worth assessing before any large cosmetic or restorative case, so the new work is not placed onto an unstable bite.
It starts as a conversation and an examination rather than a procedure. Dr. Amera will ask about your sleep, your stress, your headaches, and when the symptoms are worst, because the pattern is diagnostic. Most treatment is conservative and reversible, beginning with a custom appliance rather than anything permanent.
The assessment is a single appointment. A custom night guard takes about two weeks to fabricate after scanning, and most patients notice a difference within a few weeks of wearing it. Where the bite itself needs correcting or teeth need rebuilding, the plan extends over several months and we will lay it out clearly.
TMJ symptoms are genuinely multifactorial, and dentistry addresses the bite and muscle components rather than every possible cause. Stress, posture, sleep quality, and arthritis all contribute, and we may suggest working alongside your physician or a physical therapist. We start with conservative, reversible treatment and only consider permanent bite changes once the response tells us we are right.
A night guard takes a few nights to get used to and then most patients stop noticing it. If bite adjustments are made, the muscles need a week or two to settle into the new position, and mild aching during that period is expected. We review you after that settling period, because the follow-up adjustments are where the real comfort is found.
Get Your GLOW On
Your smile deserves this kind of attention
A boutique practice in Aliso Viejo, built around smile design, comprehensive care, and the kind of unhurried attention that makes dentistry feel different. We would love to meet you.