When you have painful symptoms in your smile, such as aches in the face and jaw, this could mean the onset of TMJ disorder, also known as TMD. The disorder could eventually impact how you open and close your mouth! In today’s blog, your Ankeny, IA, dentist talks about how we help treat your TMJ disorder.
The Causes of TMJ Disorder
What causes an issue like TMJ disorder to develop? When you have issues that upset bite balance, this could strain the jaw joints and lead to TMD. You could eventually have issues fully opening and closing your mouth, and experience a host of uncomfortable symptoms. The causes could include untreated teeth grinding, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, tooth loss, or even issues with the growth of the jaw or eruption of your teeth. Wisdom tooth eruption could be a factor too. As part of your treatment, we want to examine your smile and identify the underlying factors behind your TMJ disorder.
The Common Symptoms of TMD
When should you see our team for an exam and consultation? People with TMJ disorder may report chronic headaches and migraines, as well as aches in the face and jaw. There could be a popping or crackling sensation in the jaw, and pain in the neck and shoulders. If you happen to grind your teeth too. This could mean tooth sensitivity when you eat or drink, or persistent aches in the teeth due to the pressure from grinding and cleaning your teeth. Don’t ignore these symptoms, please reach out to our team for a diagnosis and to see what solutions we can prescribe.
How We Help With an Oral Appliance
For some, we could offer crowns or bonding to improve overall bite balance, or use orthodontics to correct misalignment. We can replace missing teeth with a dental prosthetic too. But for many, we could provide relief with an oral appliance. The device is custom-fitted for your smile based on detailed digital images and impressions we take of your bite. The appliance is worn like a mouthguard as you sleep, and helps reposition the jaw to ease underlying stress and strain, so you avoid symptoms during your waking hours. For people who grind their teeth, this helps prevent damage by adding a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth.
If you have any questions about diagnosis and treating TMD, then contact our team today.
Dental Impressions Offers Better Bite Balance
Our team wants to help ease the factors behind TMD to prevent further discomfort. To schedule your appointment and learn more about boosting your smile’s comfort and balance, then call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA today at (515) 965-0230.
