While a toothache is certainly a cause for concern, there are other types of dental discomfort you should discuss with your dentist during a routine exam. When a person suffers difficult jaw movement, or when they have issues with pain in their face, neck, or head, they could be in need of help with TMJ disorder. At our Astoria, NY dental practice, we can identify the signs of TMJ disorder, and discuss treating the problem. Resolving the matter can do more than just address aches and pains. Many people who have problems with their jaw also have trouble with nightly teeth grinding, known as bruxism. Over time, grinding can lead to significant damage to your teeth!
Untreated TMJ Disorder Can Leave You With Chronic Pain
How important is treatment when you have TMJ disorder? If you let the problem go untreated, you can experience pain whenever you bite, chew, and speak, or start to have difficulty moving your jaw. This trouble can also be the reason you experience chronic headaches that interfere with your life. The sooner your treatment for TMJ disorder occurs, the sooner you can return to daily life without discomfort. Taking care of the problem during an exam can also lead to care for bruxism, so your smile is not at risk for excess wear and tear.
Using A Custom Splint To Alleviate Your Discomfort
At our practice, we can design a custom splint that helps you reduce the stress your jaw joints and muscles have been under, in order to alleviate your ongoing problems. Wearing the splint comfortably changes the position of your jaw in order to encourage a beneficial change in its neutral position. This correction, along with work to reduce your stress levels, can bring a stop to your ongoing experiences with painful or limited jaw movement, headaches, and other problems.
The Link Between Bruxism And TMJ Disorder
Bruxism and TMJ disorder are linked, as the onset of one can cause a person to experience the other. If your daily aches and pains are connected to trouble with teeth grinding, you should be aware that your smile can suffer permanent damage if you do not seek care in time. You may notice that your teeth look less attractive and less healthy because of wear and tear from grinding. Eventually, you can cause cracks and chips that form on teeth! For people who have suffered dental damage, we can recommend the appropriate restorative dental work for harm. If you have relatively minor wear and tear, cosmetic dental work can be of interest, as you can restore your smile to a condition you are more excited to show off.
Dr. Leibowitz Can Provide Relief From Pain Caused By TMJ Disorder
At our Astoria, NY dental practice, Dr. Leibowitz is prepared to help patients who are struggling with TMJ disorder. If you think this problem is affecting you, or if you have any other oral health concerns that should be addressed, please call our office in Astoria today at 718-728-8320.
