A Self Test For TMD You Can Take Right Now! 

Answer the following questions:

- Do you get frequent headaches or facial pain?
- Do you get frequent neck aches or shoulder aches?
- Do you find yourself clenching your teeth during the day?
- Do you grind your teeth at night?
- Do you wake up with your teeth clenched?

- If you answered "yes" to any of the above, especially 2 or more, there is a good chance you may have TMD (temporomandibular dysfunction)

Try the following self assessment for TMD:

- Put the pad of one finger (use the index finger) in each ear and with the pad facing forward toward your nose, press your fingers forward - is it tender? If it is this can indicate inflammation in the temporomandibular joint.

With your fingers still in your ears, open and close- do you feel or hear any popping or clicking? Popping or clicking can indicate problems with the cartilage that is in the joint space.

- Press a finger just slightly in front of the opening of your ears- do you feel tenderness? A yes response again could indicate inflammation within the joint.

- With your index, middle and ring finger held together, open your mouth and see if you can place them vertically between your upper and lower front teeth? If you cannot, this is often a sign of TMD problems.

Should you notice any of these symptoms, let us know! Visit our office for a free consultation. Dr. Kay can help diagnose the presence of TMD, and create an effective treatment just for you.