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TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint. These joints are the hinges on either side of your mouth that connect your jawbone to your skull. Unfortunately, there are many people who suffer from a dysfunction of the TMJs and need dental intervention like a mouthguard or other therapies to correct the problem. Here are just some of the signs that you need TMJ treatment or a mouthguard.
1. You Grind and Clench Your Teeth
Your significant other may be the one to tell you that you’re noisily gnashing away while you sleep, but you are the one who will feel the effects of this unconscious habit. A teeth-grinding problem can result in morning headaches, a sore jaw, popping or stuck jaw joints, pain and tenderness, stiff shoulders, ringing ears, and more.
A customized mouthguard is an oral appliance – often referred to as a nightguard – that you wear while sleeping. This one simple measure immediately reduces strain on the jaw joints and helps minimize the most acute and painful problems of grinding and clenching your teeth, also known as sleep bruxism.
2. You Have a Bite Imbalance
Most people who have a bite imbalance have this problem diagnosed at an early age and seek out orthodontic treatment to align their smile. A course of Invisalign® or Fastbraces® put jaw, teeth, and bite into alignment to prevent or correct a TMJ issue.
This lengthy treatment may seem excessive to some people, but alignment methods are intended to not only straighten teeth so they look good but to fix a wonky bite. Tooth crowns, roots, and overall alignment are fixed for a smile that not only looks amazing but feels great too and functions without difficulty or pain.
3. You Suffer from Chronic Stress
We are all pretty stressed these days, but some people suffer from it far more severely than others and find themselves with a strained jaw and mouth as a result. If you recognize that you’re holding your mouth tightly even during waking hours or suffering from near-constant jaw discomfort and pain, you might need more than a mouthguard to help ease your circumstances.
Trigger point injections can be delivered right to the source of your jaw aches. This pain medication is injected into the facial muscles – the trigger points – for immediate relief. The relaxation of the jaw and the elimination of the reminder that you’re uptight, can sometimes ease the stress you’re feeling too.
Get TMJ Treatment at Healdsburg Dentist Near Me
There isn’t really anything people intentionally do to cause problems with their TMJ. Some patients simply have DNA that gave them a poorly positioned TMJ and predisposes them to chronic or recurring pain.
If you have any jaw discomfort, grind or clench your teeth, or have mouth pain that you can’t explain, schedule a consultation with Healdsburg Dental Spa in Healdsburg, CA. Find out whether a mouthguard or other method of relief can work for you.
