Other Treatment

otherAthletic Mouth Guards

Research shows that most oral injuries occur when athletes are not wearing mouth protection. Nearly half of all sports-related mouth injuries occur in basketball and baseball. We recommend that all our patients protect their smiles by wearing a mouth guard when participating in any sporting activity. Mouth guards are inexpensive, comfortable and come in an exciting variety of colors and patterns.

TMJ/TMD

The "Temporomandibular Joint," more commonly referred to as the "jaw joint," assists in the basic opening and closing movements of the jaw. Unfortunately, this joint is a common area for recurring pain. Although conventional wisdom suggests that "popping" sounds in the jaw indicates a TMJ dysfunction, this is not always true. Many times, your jaw is functioning properly even if a "popping" sound is present when chewing or talking.

We offer a TMJ exam that evaluates the joint tissue in the "hinge" of the jaw. Possible problems include swelling, deterioration of the joint tissue or damaged joint tissue (which cushions the jaw bones during the opening and closing movement of the mouth). Common pain relievers and cold compresses can provide temporary relief for most cases of TMJ.

For more serious cases of TMJ, we will recommend alternate treatments. Often, we will suggest using a mouth guard to relieve teeth grinding. In some cases, we will instruct you to use orthodontic appliances or retainers to alleviate discomfort or redirect positioning of the TMJ joint. For the most severe cases of TMJ, we may recommend certain invasive procedures.

Occlusal Splints

An occlusal splint is an appliance or a bite guard used to treat nighttime clenching and grinding of the teeth. It provides temporary relief from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain.

John L. Covert, D.D.S., P.A. & Associates

  • John L. Covert, D.D.S., P.A. & Associates - 7701 Tezel Rd., San Antonio, TX 78250 Phone: 210-647-0477 Fax: 210-647-3765

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