TMJ Self-Examination Checklist...

• Have you ever had braces?
• Do you have a grating, clicking, cracking, or popping sound in either or both jaw joints when you open or mouth or chew?
• Do you have sensations of stuffiness, pressure or blockage in your ears?
• Do your ears produce excessive wax?
• Do you ever have a ringing, roaring, hissing or buzzing sound in your ears?
• Do you ever feel dizzy or faint?
• Is your jaw painful or locked when you get up in the morning?
• Are you ever nauseated for no apparent reason?
• Do you fatigue easily or consider yourself chronically fatigued?
• Are there imprints of your teeth on the side of your tongue?
• Does your tongue go between your front teeth when you swallow?
• Do you ever awaken with a headache?
• Have you ever had a whiplash injury?
• Have you ever worn a cervical collar or had neck traction?
• Have you ever experienced a blow on the chin, face or head?
• Have you reached the point where prescription drugs no longer relieve your symptoms?
• Does chewing gum start your symptoms?
• Is it painful, or is there soreness, when you press your jaw joints or on the cheek just below tem?
• Is it painful to stick your little fingers into your ears with your mouth open wide and then close your mouth while pressing forward with those fingers? (it sounds strange, but try it.)
• Does your jaw deviate to the left or right when you open wide?
• Are you unable to comfortably insert your first three fingers vertically into you mouth when it is open wide?
• Do your fingers sometimes go numb for no reason?
• Do you have pain or soreness in any of the following areas? (Jaw joints, upper jaw or teeth, side of neck, back of head, forehead, behind eyes, temples, tongue or cheeks?
• Is it hard to move your jaw from side to side or back to back?
• Do you have difficulty in chewing your food?
• Do you have any missing back teeth?
• Have you had any extensive crowns or bridgework?
• Do you clench your teeth at night?
• Do you grind your teeth at night?

If you checked  three or more of these symptoms, there is a good possibility that you have a TMJ problem and/or an unhealthy bite.

We invite you to contact our office at your earliest convenience for a consultation.