When you have TMJ disorder, this means that you have strain and discomfort in your smile. To avoid complications with opening and closing your mouth, or the onset of bruxism, you need treatment. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how we use a custom-made oral appliance to relieve TMJ disorder.
The Causes and Impact of TMJ Disorder
Our jaws connect to the skull with the temporomandibular joints, which are responsible for the movements needed to eat and speak. However, if these same joints undergo excessive amounts of strain, this could lead to a disorder known as TMJ disorder, or TMD. As the issue grows more severe with time, this could cause uncomfortable symptoms and even trouble fully opening and closing your mouth. You could also be more likely to develop chronic teeth grinding, known as bruxism, which damages smiles. Causes include misalignment, tooth loss, bruxism, high levels of stress, or an injury to the face or jaw. Complications with the growth and development of your jaw and oral structures could be a factor too.
Common Signs of Trouble
People with the disorder may report headaches and migraines or possible pain when chewing or aches when opening and closing the mouth. Jaw pain, facial aches, and neck pain could develop too, as could a popping or clicking sensation in your smile. If you grind your teeth, tooth sensitivity and toothaches could occur as well. If you experience one or more of these possible warning signs, then contact our team for a diagnosis. We will carefully examine the smile with advanced imaging technology, assessing the cause and extent of the disorder. We then recommend a treatment option!
Treatment with a Custom Appliance
For some, we could restore balance with one or more custom-made dental crowns, or we could address missing teeth with a bridge or dental implants. Others may benefit from orthodontic treatment with our ClearCorrect aligners. But for most cases, we will take detailed digital images and measurements to create an oral appliance. The device is worn at night like a mouthguard, and helps shift the position of the jaw to ease strain and ease pressure on the joints. If you happen to grind your teeth, this also helps by putting a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth. If you have any questions about diagnosing and treating TMD, then contact your team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About General Treatments?
We would like to help people avoid the discomfort and strain of untreated TMD. To learn more about how we treat jaw joint strain and bite imbalance, then schedule a consultation by calling Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, in Astoria, NY, today at 718-728-8320.
