TMD, or temporomandibular disorder, is pain and dysfunction in the jaw joints and the muscles that move them. It can show up as jaw pain, clicking, headaches, or difficulty opening wide. At Fleming Dental in Durham, we treat TMD at its source, which is usually how your bite functions, so relief lasts instead of coming and going.
HOW IT WORKS
We examine your jaw joints, muscles, and bite, and listen closely to your symptoms.
We look for the reason behind the strain, which often traces back to how your teeth meet.
Depending on what we find, this may mean bite adjustment, a custom splint, or a combination.
We check your progress and refine the plan until your jaw is comfortable and working smoothly.
Your temporomandibular joints connect your jaw to your skull, and they work hard every time you chew, speak, or swallow. When your bite is off or your muscles are overworked, those joints and muscles strain, which leads to pain, clicking, locking, or tension. TMD is common, and it is treatable once the cause is clear.
Watch for jaw pain or soreness, clicking or popping when you open, headaches, tenderness in the muscles around your jaw, difficulty opening wide, or a jaw that feels like it catches. Many people live with these for years, assuming nothing can be done. Often, something can.
Painkillers and heat can ease TMD for a while, but they do not fix why it is happening. Dr. Fleming looks at how your bite functions, because an unbalanced bite is a frequent driver of jaw strain. By addressing the bite, often with adjustment or a custom splint, we treat the cause, so the relief holds.
Advanced, bite-focused dentistry is what drew Dr. Alex Fleming to this work, and it is where he has invested the most training, including advanced study through the Pankey Institute. Bite balancing is not an add-on for him. It is the lens he brings to everything.
He takes the time to understand how your whole system fits together, then makes careful, deliberate adjustments so your bite is comfortable, functional, and stable for the long run.
Jaw pain, clicking, and tension are treatable once we understand the cause. Reach out and we will take a look.
📍1020 Broad St, Durham, NC 27705
⏰ Monday to Wednesday 8:00a to 4:30p
⏰ Thursday 8:00a to 3:30p
⏰ Closed Friday to Sunday
Fleming Dental is an out-of-network, fee-for-service practice. We file insurance claims on your behalf as a courtesy, and we provide clear estimates before any treatment begins.
PATIENT STORIES
★★★★★
“I am always pleased with my visits with Dr. Fleming. I recommend him.”
Karla Greene
Google Review · 5 Stars
★★★★★
“I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Dr. Fleming.”
Mallory Horvath
Google Review · 5 Stars
★★★★★
“Excellent care, exceptional staff!”
Lisa Miles
Google Review · 5 Stars
ALSO IN ADVANCED DENTISTRY
Small, precise adjustments that let your bite work with your muscles and jaw.
Custom appliances that protect your teeth and ease clenching and grinding.
