Do you often experience serious headaches on a frequent basis? If so, this could be related to your smile! TMJ disorder, also known as TMD, could cause discomfort and complicate your ability to eat and speak. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about how we treat headaches by addressing your jaw joint strain.
TMJ Disorder and Migraines
TMJ disorder develops when the jaw joints that connect your jaw and skull undergo major stress. This strain could lead to a disorder that causes trouble opening and closing your mouth, and could be connected to chronic teeth and grinding (bruxism). Many people who suffer from this disorder also have regular headaches and migraines, which impacts their overall quality of life.
Warning Signs and Causes
Along with headaches and migraines, you could develop pain in the jaw, neck, and shoulders. People also report popping or clicking in the jaw, and tooth sensitivity or toothaches, especially if they also grind and clench their teeth. The cause vary, but may include injury to the face or jaw, untreated bruise, high levels of stress, tooth loss, malocclusion, or dental misalignment. Treatment mean restoring balance to your bite to relieve the stress on your jaw joints, which we could offer with a simple oral appliance.
Treatment
For some, we could correct the issue with orthodontics, using braces or aligners to reposition the teeth and improve overall balance and alignment. For others, we could place front to help improve the overall balance, or possibly use dental bonding too. However, the most common solution is an oral appliance. The device is crafted based on the detailed digital images and measurements we take of your smile with advanced imaging technology. These allow us to design and craft a device that looks and fits like a mouthguard. Worn as you sleep, the device then repositions the jaw to ease pressure on your smile. The device also puts a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth, the barrier preventing further damage if you also grind or clench your teeth. If you have any questions about how we treat a disorder like TMD or bruxism, then give us a call today.
Now is a great time to see us for care, as you have a few days left to use your 2021 dental insurance benefits before they expire at the end of December. Be sure to see us soon!
Talk To Your Kansas City, MO Dentist About Treating TMD
Our team wants to help ensure a balanced and healthy smile with oral appliance therapy. To find out more about how we address issues with jaw joint strain, then please contact your Kansas City, MO, dentist, Dr. Murphy, by calling (816) 531-8000.
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