If you have regular aches or pains in your jaw, this could be a sign of a serious oral health issue. TMJ disorder needs treatment to bring relief and protect you from related complications, such as bruxism (teeth grinding). In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist talks about how we ease jaw pain with TMJ treatment.
Jaw Pain and TMJ Disorder
With TMJ disorder, pressure on your bite could lead to discomfort and trouble fully opening and closing your mouth. This is because the pressure strains the joints that connect your jaw and skull. This could be caused by issues like teeth grinding, injury to the face or jaw, missing teeth, or even untreated misalignment or issues with the growth of your smile. Warning signs vary, but could include a popping or crackling sensation in your bite, headaches and migraines, and pain in the face and bite. Without treatment, this could worsen with time and the onset of teeth grinding could mean damaged teeth and a higher risk of tooth decay and infection! When you experience jaw pain, then please reach out to our team right away.
A Thorough Assessment
Our team will look at the surfaces of your teeth with an intraoral camera to assess any wear and friction on your teeth. With digital x-rays, we peer beneath the gums to look at the roots, jawbone, and oral structures for signs of strain and imbalance. With this information, we can assess the cause and severity of your TMJ issues, and then create a treatment plan. For some, we could discuss orthodontics to correct misalignment. We could help boost overall bite balance with crowns or even same-day dental bonding. With a prosthetic, we could address missing teeth too. But for many, we could offer a solution with a simple and effective oral appliance, a device that looks and fits like a mouthguard.
Oral Appliance Solutions
The oral appliance will be custom-fitted for your bite based on the detailed digital images and measurements we take of your smile. When worn, this will help shift the bite to ease underlying strain and provide relief, so you avoid symptoms. If you happen to grind your teeth, this places a simple and comfortable barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further injury.
If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder then please contact our team today to learn more and enjoy relief from your symptoms!
Call Dr. Robert Browne, D.D.S. for TMJ Treatment
We would love to provide relief from persistent pain with a custom appliance! To find out more about treating this disorder, or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Robert M. Browne, D.D.S. in Prairie Village, KS at (913) 901-8585.
