When your jaw joints undergo excessive stress, this could lead to discomfort in and around your face and jaw due the onset of TMJ disorder, or TMD. To ease the discomfort and bring relief to the smile, we could offer custom oral appliances. In today’s blog, your Grand Prairie, TX, dentist talks about how we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder. We want to provide relief for our patients and also protect against dental damage and other serious complications, including tooth decay and infection!
The Causes and Warning Signs of TMJ Disorder
What causes an issue like TMD to develop? As we touched on above, when the joints connecting your jaw and skull undergo excess strain, this can lead to the disorder, upsetting how you open and close your mouth. The strain could be due to issues like teeth grinding, tooth loss, misalignment, injury to your jaw or face, or even complications with the growth of your bite or the arrival of your teeth. Wisdom teeth could be a factor, as could high stress levels.
People with TMJ disorder may report popping or cracking in the jaw, headaches and migraines, and aches in the jaw and face. If you begin to encounter one or more of these potential symptoms, then please reach out to our team right for treatment!
The Impact on Your Smile
The disorder could lead to chronic discomfort in your face and jaw, including discomfort when you eat. Your ability to fully open and close your mouth could be compromised too. If you grind your teeth, as bruxism could lead to TMD or be caused by it, this could wear down and damage teeth to leave them vulnerable to tooth decay and infection, as well as negative changes to the appearance of your smile.
Oral Appliance Solutions
Our team will often provide relief for our patients with a simple oral appliance, a device that looks and fits like a mouthguard and is worn while you sleep. The appliance is custom-fitted for your bite based on detailed images and measurements we take of your smile with digital technology. The device then repositions the bite when worn to help ease stress and strain on the joints. If you also grind your teeth, this adds a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage. We can also use bonding or crowns to repair damage and protect your smile from issues with health, function, and appearance.
If you have any questions about TMJ disorder, then contact our team today to learn more! We want to offer relief and protect your smile from complications.
Learn More About Our Approach to TMJ Treatment
We want to offer a comfortable and effective solution for treating TMD. When you are ready to schedule your appointment with our office, contact Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX at 972-262-5111. Our team is ready to help improve the health and function of your bite, and to offer improvements for the appearance of your smile too!
