While TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding) are two very different disorders, they are often related, as one could lead to the onset of the other. But we can offer relief for both with a single treatment option. In today’s blog, your Grand Prairie, TX, dentist talks about treating TMJ disorder and bruxism with oral appliance therapy.
The Warning Signs of Trouble
How do you know if you need to seek treatment with an oral appliance? With disorders like TMJ dysfunction and bruxism, you may experience headaches and migraines, facial and jaw pain, and aches in the neck and shoulders. You could also experience tooth sensitivity and toothaches, and even a popping or clicking sensation in the jaw. Don’t ignore these potential warning signs, instead talk to our team about a diagnosis. We will examine your smile with digital imaging so we can assess any wear and friction that could indicate the presence of these disorders. We then create a personalized treatment plan to help relieve discomfort and protect your smile from major complications!
TMJ Disorder and Bruxism
With TMJ disorder, you have serious pressure on your jaw joints that could alter your bite and eventually even make it difficult to open and close your mouth fully. With bruxism, you grind and clench your teeth on a nightly basis, which places pressure on your bite and even damages your teeth. Untreated TMJ disorder could lead to teeth grinding and vice-versa. Common factors behind these disorders include tooth loss, injury to the face or jaw, missing teeth, high stress levels, and issues with the growth of your jaw and the eruption of your teeth. Without treatment, both could lead to major discomfort and even damaged teeth, which increases the risk of cavities and infections, threatening the stability of your smile.
Our Oral Appliances
With an oral appliance, we can offer relief with a comfortable and noninvasive solution. We start by taking detailed digital images of your bite and using them to design and craft an oral appliance, which looks and fits like a mouthguard. When worn at night, this helps reposition the jaw to ease pressure on your joints and improve bite balance, so you avoid TMJ-related discomfort. This appliance also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage to the teeth. The oral appliance can travel with you and is easy to use and clean. Our team could also discuss lengthening worn down teeth, orthodontics, or even tooth replacement to help ease the underlying factors behind these disorders.
If you have any questions about how our team can use oral appliance therapy to take on bruxism and TMJ disorder, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Any Questions About Correcting Your Bite Balance?
The team at Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX, is ready to help improve the balance of your bite and ease strain on your jaw joints. To schedule an appointment with our team, call us today at 972-262-5111.
