Have you noticed a clicking or popping sound in your jaw or jaw joint (TMJ), headaches, pain in your neck or shoulder, or ringing in your ears?
These problems are often misdiagnosed or dismissed by doctors and poorly trained dentists, but they may be a sign of TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders.
Learn how a dentist at Delany Dental Care in Gurnee, IL, can treat TMJ disorders...
Benefits of TMJ Disorder Treatment
Prevent Health Problems
TMJ disorder causes wear and tear on your teeth and makes you more vulnerable to dental problems such as cavities and gum recession. TMJ can also result in chronic pain, bruxism, snoring problems, and persistent migraines. A treatment plan that is designed to address your unique functional problems and symptoms can provide relief and prevent ongoing and future health problems.
Reduced Long-Term Dental Care Costs
When temporomandibular disorder goes untreated, patients require other treatments to maintain their teeth, jaw, and overall health. Patients often incur expenses to restore worn and damaged teeth and gums, treat sleep apnea, and address chronic discomfort.
Proper and Effective Treatment
Many patients don't know that their symptoms are related to jaw function. In many cases, they are treated for different disorders such as migraine, tension headaches, sinus pain, ear pain, and other problems. We can diagnose your TMJ disorder using x-rays and Cone Beam CT technology, and then develop a treatment plan that will address your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Contact Our Practice
Dr. Ira Shapira has more than 40 years of experience treating TMD and works alongside Mark Amidei and Richard Cottrell to address even the most difficult cases. If you are considering TMD treatment, please contact us to schedule your temporomandibular joint treatment consultation today. We serve patients in Gurnee, Lake County, and North Chicago. Contact us online or call us at:
(847) 558-1522
"I am feeling much better."
A patient who suffered more than six months with a locked jaw discusses the positive results he was able to achieve under Dr. Shapira's care.
"I wake rested and have no headaches."
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Cathie Peklay
2019
Anyone with TMJ, or sleep apnea issues needs to visit Delany Dental Care. I can now sleep on my back with no blockage from airways. I wake rested and have no headaches. I appreciate Delany Dental and Dr. Shapira for his care and knowledge. View On Google
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Karen Gershtein
2016
I saw Dr Shapira for TMJ problems and chronic Migraines. I wore a plastic appliance for several months. All of my issues with jaw locking and clicking resolved as did my daily headaches and chronic migraines. I no longer have dark circles under my eyes either. View On Google
What Are the TMJs?

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. This is not a disorder but actually the name of the jaw joint. It connects the temporal bone of the skull to the mandible or lower jaw. People often state that they have TMJ as if it is a disease.
If you went to an orthopedic doctor with knee problems and he diagnosed you as having knee, you would probably look for a new doctor. So it is with TMJ. Everybody has TMJ; in fact, everybody has two TM Joints unless a surgeon has removed one.
TMD stands for temporomandibular disorders. This is the correct term for TMJ disorders.
TMJ Disorder Treatment
It is estimated that more than half of Americans suffer from TMD to varying degrees. Fortunately, TMJ disorders and TMD can be treated with neuromuscular dentistry. The goal of TMJ treatment is to improve your quality of life by eliminating symptoms and stabilizing the entire system. Some of the treatment options we offer include:
Neuromuscular
TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy, employs low-level electric currents to treat pain. This treatment involves the placement of electrodes at the site of the pain to deliver electricity and stimulate the underlying nerves. We use the following devices:
- Ultra Low Frequency TENS
- ULF-TENS
Injectable
Injections can reduce pain and encourage healing of the temporomandibular joints. Because every patient's specific needs are different, our practice offers several types of injectable treatments for TMJ relief:
- Trigger Point Injections
- Prolotherapy
- Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Blocks
Orthotics
Oral appliances can be used to hold the temporomandibular joints in proper alignment to gradually reposition the jaw and surrounding jaw muscles. This can offer long-term relief of TMJ disorder and reduce tooth damage. We offer the following neuromuscular orthotic appliances:
- Pivotal Appliances
- Aqualizer Appliance
The Cost of Treatment
The cost of a temporomandibular joint consultation is $295 and the cost of running a Cone Beam CT scan to check for temporomandibular disorders is $295.
Temporomandibular joint treatment may involve use of a nighttime appliance to more complex therapies with orthotics and diagnostic evaluations. As a result, treatment for TMD can cost our Gurnee, Lake County, and North Chicago patients anywhere from $750 to several thousand dollars, depending on many factors.
Typical patients with moderate to severe temporomandibular disorders pay approximately $4,000 for the initial series of appointments and diagnostic testing.
Relief from Chronic Pain
Dr Shapira changed my life: treated TMJ: TMJ TESTIMONIAL
Hear from our patients about how their lives were affected by finally receiving effective treatment.
Types of TMJ Disorders
Intracapsular Problems
The first is intracapsular problems, or problems inside of the joint. This is often caused by structural alterations in the joint itself, which may occur as a result of injury and degeneration. Symptoms of intracapsular problems include clicking, popping, crepitation, and joints that get stuck and will not allow movements such as opening, closing, chewing, or side to side movements. It can also result in pain, specifically head pain.
Capsular Problems
The second type of problem is capsular problems, or problems in the tissues directly enveloping the joint. These first two types are often considered together as joint disorders. These joints are subject to the same damage as every other joint of the body including arthritis tears or fractures of the joint tissues and various inflammatory and infectious processes.
Extracapsular Problems
The last group of disorders is extracapsular disorders, which affect the musculature of the TMJ. Symptoms of extracapsular issues include joint pain, muscle dysfunction, spasms, and myofascial trigger points. It can also result in pain in the head, face, and neck muscles, as well as ringing or buzzing in the ears.
TMJ Disorder Symptoms
TMD is often called The Great Imposter. It is given this name because of the wide variety of disorders that are associated with it. The more common symptoms associated with TMD include:
- Headaches
- Facial pain
- Pain in the jaw joints and jaw muscles
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Otalgia or earaches
- Tinnitus or ringing in the ear
- Itchy ears
- Clogged or stuffy ears known as eustachian tube dysfunction
- Retro-orbital pain or pain behind the eyes
- Numbness in the hands and fingertips
- Chronic fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Equilibrium problems
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Depression
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Tooth and root canal pain with no findings
- Sinus pain and feeling of fullness
- Bruxism
- Chiropractic problems that do not respond well to treatment
TMJ or TMD can potentially have devastating effects on your overall health and well-being. Some patients wear their teeth down because of constant grinding, while others may suffer from severe migraines. People in need of neuromuscular dental treatment may also suffer from sleep apnea and snoring.
"I am drastically improved."
TMJ devastated my life. Treatment has restored me back to life. TMJ TESTIMONIAL
Hear from our patients about how their lives were affected by finally receiving effective treatment.
"I have never felt better."
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Suzan Brady
2019
Dr. Shapira and his staff are excellent. Dr Shapira worked with me to fix my TMJ issues. Changed my bite. I have never felt better. They treat you like family! They are also working with my husband to cure his sleep apnea! We are both very happy with Dr. Shapira.
View On Google
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W L
2018
Delany Dental Care has an excellent dental care team and Dr. Shapira is definitely one of the best TMJ doctor I have ever seen. If you have any TMJ related concerns I can definitely say that he is the right person to take care of any issues you have!
View On Google
Delany Dental Care
Our practice has been serving the local community since 1984. Our practice is associated with:
American Dental Association
Chicago Dental Society
Illinois Dental Society
Academy of General Dentistry
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Contact our practice online or call us at (847) 623-5530 to schedule an appointment.
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“From the moment you walk in the office you feel welcome and the staff takes care of you while you wait for your appointment. I would highly recommend Delany Dental Care to anyone who is looking for a new dentist!” Zach B.