TMJ Disorders
Restore Function & Comfort
If you are experiencing pain, discomfort, or popping in your jaw when opening your mouth to talk or eat, you may have a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder.
The temporomandibular joint, more commonly called the TMJ, is the joint that allows you to move your jaw around smoothly. Sometimes, the TMJ can develop disorders, making it difficult for your jaw to function comfortably. At Hill & Ioppolo Oral & Dental Implant Surgery of Lubbock, our oral and maxillofacial surgeon can help diagnose and treat TMJ disorders.
The exact cause of a TMJ disorder isn't always clear, but early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent more serious problems later on. Sometimes, treatments can be simple lifestyle changes, but if nonsurgical management is not successful, surgery may be considered to relieve the tension in the jaw joint.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorders
TMJ disorders (TMD) refer to an entire family of disorders that can develop in and around your jaw joint. You may have a TMJ disorder if you have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty opening your mouth all the way
- Tightness around the jaw, or the jaw snapping shut when closing the mouth
- Clicking or grating sounds when opening and closing the jaw
- Headaches
- Ear pain or hearing problems, such as ringing in the ears
If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should seek evaluation from a TMJ expert like an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Types of Anesthesia
Depending on your procedure, you will receive one of the following forms of anesthesia to ensure your comfort.
Treatment for TMD
Usually, a combination of treatments and lifestyle changes will be the best way to control the symptoms of a TMJ disorder. First, Dr. Ioppolo will consider nonsurgical options, such as resting the jaw, exercises, medication management, and other alternatives. If none of these treatments are successful, or if your condition is very severe, jaw surgery may be the best treatment option.
TMJ Disorder Treatment in Lubbock, TX
If you think you have a TMJ disorder, or you are referred to our office for evaluation, Dr. Robert B. Ioppolo can help you determine the best course of action for your condition. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are experts at evaluating and treating jaw disorders of all kinds. For more information, give our office a call. One of our staff members will be happy to assist you.
Patient Testimonials
Hear from our patients about their experiences with TMJ Surgery and other procedures.
"I came to see Dr. Ioppolo to have my wisdom teeth removed. The office is very friendly. There's a nice atmosphere going on, and everyone is very helpful. Dr. Ioppolo is wonderful. He has a great manner, he's very kind, and he puts you at ease."
"Everybody at this office is very sweet and very accommodating. They walk you through the whole process before it happens, so you don’t feel like you’re being hit out of left field with something. Dr. Ioppolo is very endearing. He just makes you feel comfortable with what to expect."
"This office is very welcoming. The staff is really friendly. It’s like coming home. When you hire Dr. Ioppolo as your doctor, you’re not only hiring a great doctor, you’re actually going with a friend—a trusted person. I was impressed."
"The first time I met Dr. Ioppolo, I was very impressed and fell in love with him right away. I wanted to be his grandmother forever. Yet, it was a little nerve-racking, and one of the nurses sat there and patted my hands through the whole ordeal, and I think I was as comfortable as I could have been anywhere. The staff is wonderful."
"The staff was great — very friendly, very helpful. Dr. Ioppolo was great, put my mind at ease. The procedure was actually really smooth. We had an appointment within a week of actually coming in the first time, which was fantastic."
"I came to see Dr. Ioppolo because I needed my wisdom teeth removed. Dr. Ioppolo is a great guy. He’s very meticulous in what he does, and so that’s the person you want doing your surgery when you have a surgery done like this. So, you could tell that from the moment we had our initial meeting that he was going to take care of things and make sure things were done right."
"When I came in for my procedure, it probably took longer to just get set up, having the gas and all that. As far as the procedure goes, he came in, and within five seconds, he was gone. It was super fast. I highly recommend Dr. Ioppolo and his staff because they are very wonderful and great people, and they make the process completely painless, and it was a very easy thing."
"I had a wisdom teeth extraction, and Dr. Ioppolo was my doctor, and then we put in an implant. When I first met Dr. Ioppolo, he was very soothing. He was a great guy, first off. He explained front to back what was going to happen."
"This is just a good place to come. Very comfortable setting. All the employees act like they’re your brother or your sister. Very friendly, very accommodating. Dr. Ioppolo is very congenial, very thorough with his work, very professional with his work. He’s very compassionate, and he makes you feel at ease about what’s fixing to happen."
Outstanding Oral Surgery Services Driven By Faith and Expertise
At Hill & Ioppolo Oral & Dental Implant Surgery of Lubbock, we are dedicated to restoring optimal oral health through a variety of oral surgery procedures. Through our work, we serve our God-given purpose of serving our incredible community. When you walk into our practice, you are not just a patient—you’re a welcome member of our family who will leave here with a better and more beautiful smile. We look forward to welcoming you soon.