TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint. This is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. The wear and tear that this joint gets on a daily basis is very significant when you think about all of the things that require your jaw to be moving. Additionally, there are many things that can aggravate the joint from injury to orthodontics, or even restorative dental procedures like fillings, inlays or onlays, or even crowns. There are the two major things that enlist function of your TMJ on a daily basis:

Inlays and onlays are a restorative procedure that is an alternative to a crown. They are used on teeth that have sustained damage and require more than a filling. They’re sometimes referred to as an indirect filling because the inlays and onlays are fabricated in a lab and then fitted into the tooth later.

Years ago, dentists used amalgam fillings for cavities, which were a combination of metals, including mercury. Since mercury is a highly toxic material, modern dentists have sought more healthy and natural alternatives to the traditional amalgam material. Many dentists opt to use tooth colored fillings, which are made of a composite resin that is safer, and it looks significantly better.