You heard it when you were young, and you say it now, “Just wait until you’re my age. Everything hurts.” While it is true that aches and pains become more prevalent as you age, it doesn’t mean you have to live with all of them. Some signs of aging are just that, aging. But [...]

Do you ever feel excruciating pain in your jaw or elsewhere in your face when you open your mouth, such as when chewing, yawning, or talking? Is it sometimes difficult to open and close your jaw? Do your jaw muscles feel strained? Do you wake up with a sore jaw? Are you noticing that [...]

Many people think they can resolve their sleep problems by simply going to bed at a regular time every night, having the right pillows, and buying a high-quality mattress. Though those things do help to set the stage for a sound night of much-needed sleep, they might not be enough. If your bedtime routine [...]

There are many reasons to be happy over the holidays, but TMJ can also spike at this time. Although it may seem to subside again, it’s good to take this flare-up as a warning and get treatment before the problem worsens. Why TMJ Symptoms Can Spike During the Holidays The holidays are a big change [...]

Do you experience pain in your ears when chewing or swallowing? Do you experience unusual pain or pressure in your ears? While it’s common to experience these symptoms when you have an ear infection or ear-related problem, your jaw could also be causing your ear pain when swallowing due to TMJ [...]

Are you searching for home remedies to alleviate your TMJ pain? The TMJ or Temporomandibular joint, and the surrounding network of muscles make it possible to open and close your mouth, eat, and chew food. Anything that affects the normal function of this network may cause pain or that annoying popping and [...]

Temporomandibular joint disorders, or TMD, can be a literal pain. Between its relationship with poor posture to how difficult it is to diagnose, TMD can put unneeded strain on your mental and physical health. Here at Top Down Dental, we’re not just focused on what’s happening inside of your mouth. We’re [...]

We slouch a lot. Whether it’s checking a text message, sitting at work or reading in bed, we’re often craning the neck downward, jutting the chin backward and slouching the shoulders. Sitting and standing in this position every day can lead to a weaker back and pain throughout the neck and shoulders. But did [...]

One of the greatest challenges facing people with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD or sometimes TMJ) is just getting an accurate diagnosis. Many people spend years dealing with their primary care doctors and various specialists trying to get relief, but are unable to get relief because they can’t get a positive diagnosis. Researchers at [...]

Tinnitus is a condition that can be very hard to live with. In fact, people with tinnitus tend to suffer very high rates of depression and stress. For many people, tinnitus is a source of significant stress, but sometimes the opposite is true. About half of people with tinnitus can trace its origins back to [...]

Many people who suffer chronic illness find that they’re not just fighting their illness, they’re fighting against a doctor, and, indeed, an entire medical system, that doesn’t believe them and won’t credit their word about the pain they’re experiencing. The fight leads to years of misdiagnosis, unhelpful treatments, and, of course, ongoing pain that may [...]

You’ve never experienced an injury or any form of trauma to the face—you would definitely remember it, right? So that rules that out. You don’t bite your nails, chew on the inside of your cheek or clench your teeth. You spent two years of high school with orthodontics, and as a result, your teeth and [...]

TMJ is often a treatable condition. In fact, it can usually be treated with noninvasive techniques if detected early enough. But often the condition doesn’t get treated early because people don’t pay attention to the early symptoms. Some of the early symptoms of TMJ may not seem serious, but they should [...]

It’s often hard to track down the cause of TMJ. Temporomandibular joint disorder can result from many potential causes, and finding the right cause can help guide treatment. One common cause of TMJ is a jaw injury. But TMJ doesn’t necessarily develop right after the injury. It can take years to manifest [...]

Occasional teeth clenching may happen to anyone, and it may not need professional attention. However, some people may clench and grind their teeth often. When you clench your teeth regularly, it’s a condition known as bruxism, which can result in serious oral and general health problems. How do you know when [...]

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ or sometimes TMD) can be hard to treat. Even once we’ve overcome the problem of diagnosis, there are many potential approaches that can provide relief, although not everyone sees results from all treatments. It can be hard to know which treatment people should try first to get relief. But now a [...]

For over 100 years, the phonograph record was the dominant form of music recording. Now they have become out of date, and they’re vanishing, along with the players necessary to enjoy them. Fortunately, with a little ingenuity, you can play a record without a player, and you can even play it with your teeth. Playing [...]

We are in the midst of a chronic pain crisis. As chronic pain conditions like TMJ increase, we are realizing how few tools we have to really treat them. In particular, we have realized that the most common medication for chronic pain -- opioids -- are not only ineffective, they’re [...]

When we focus on the health links between your mouth and the rest of your body, we’re also aware that there are complex links between your emotional health and your physical health. One emotionally unhealthy state is being constantly stressed, which, in turn, can damage your physical health and may play a crucial role in [...]

Just as treatments for your dental health can impact your overall health, other medical treatments can have a profound effect on your oral health. For example, some prescriptions may lead to severe bruxism, clenching and grinding of teeth. This can happen either during the day or night, and it’s related to altered brain chemistry, which [...]