When you have pain in your jaw, and persistent popping or clicking, then you could be suffering from TMJ disorder, also referred to as TMD. Without treatment, this could cause painful symptoms and upset bite balance. But we can help! In today’s blog, your Riverside Dental Group team talks about how we diagnose and treat TMJ disorder.
The Causes and Warning Signs of TMJ Disorder
Our temporomandibular joints connect our jaw and skull, and are responsible for the movements needed to eat and speak. But when factors strain these joints, this could lead to TMJ disorder. Underlying factors could include misalignment, missing teeth, injury to the face or jaw, and wisdom tooth eruption. Eventually, the disorder could even complicate how fully you can open and close your mouth. Symptoms vary, and could include a popping or crackling sensation in the jaw, headaches and migraines, jaw and facial pain, and aches in the neck and shoulders. When you experience chronic pain in your mouth and other parts of your head, please contact our team to schedule a consultation!
The Link to Teeth Grinding
Without treatment, the disorder could eventually increase the risk of another disorder known as bruxism. With bruxism, you will grind and clench your teeth at night, which strains the joints further and also damages your smile, increasing the risk of cavities and infection. Likewise, untreated bruxism could strain the bite and lead to TMD. To avoid damage to your smile, let us know when you have prolonged discomfort in your bite.
Custom Treatment Options
How do we offer relief for our patients? For many, we could provide a comfortable and noninvasive solution with an oral appliance. The device is custom-fitted for your smile, and in fact looks and fits like a mouthguard. But once in place, this will actually help shift your jaw to ease underlying stress and strain, limiting TMD-related symptoms. If you grind your teeth, this also puts a soft barrier between your upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage should you grind or clench your teeth. The appliance is easy to use and clean, and it can travel with you on your summer vacation too!
Riverside Dental Group Provides TMD Solutions
We want to help you enjoy good oral health and a smile free of jaw pain and discomfort. To find out more about treating jaw joint strain, then please call:
Riverside Dental Group at Magnolia in Riverside, CA at (951) 689-5031.
Dental Associates of Moreno Valley in Moreno Valley, CA at (951) 697-6800.
Riverside Dental Group at Woodcrest (951) 776-9001.
Oasis Family Dental in Temecula, CA at (951) 695-2290.
Dental Associates of Riverside in Riverside, CA at (951) 369-1001.
Dental Associates of Corona in Corona, CA at (951) 273-9580.
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