Quiz: What’s The Difference Between Bruxism And TMJ Disorder?

Have you ever heard of bruxism or TMJ disorder? While very different, both issues can impact your jaw and smile, and both have similar symptoms, such as headaches or jaw pain. In addition, these disorders can often be linked. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at the difference between these disorders and recommend possible solutions.

Try Our Quiz on Bruxism and TMJ Disorder

1. True or False: Bruxism involves grinding your teeth.
2. True or False: TMJ disorder is a jaw joint disorder.
3. True or False: Both disorders have similar symptoms.
4. True or False: We can treat both with similar treatments.

Answer Key

1. True. With bruxism, you grind your teeth or clench your jaw regularly, especially during sleep. Eventually, the pressure from these episodes can break, chip, or fracture teeth, possibly even wear away outer layers of tooth enamel. The teeth can develop damage, and a greater risk of decay or infection. Eventually, untreated teeth grinding can lead to the onset of TMJ disorder.
2. True. TMJ disorder occurs when the jaw joints undergo excessive strain, which can occur due to tooth loss, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, or even due to untreated teeth grinding. The disorder can make opening and closing the jaw difficult and lead to a number of uncomfortable symptoms.
3. True. Patients have reported jaw pain, aches in the neck or shoulders, popping in the jaw, or headaches with either disorder. Those with bruxism also report toothaches and tooth sensitivity as well.
4. True. We may recommend an oral appliance, which repositions the jaw to ease strain and places a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to prevent further damage due to teeth grinding. If you have any questions about treating these disorders, then contact our team today.

Do You Have Pain in Your Jaw?

At Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, we can address issues with your jaw joints or teeth grinding using oral appliances. We’ve proudly served our patients in Astoria, NY (including Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and all surrounding communities) since 1991. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Leibowitz, call our office in Astoria today at 718-728-8320.