Do you have a popping or clicking sensation in your jaw, or other persistent discomfort around your mouth and jaw? If so, you could be suffering from TMJ disorder, also known as TMD. Fortunately, we can help with a custom oral appliance! In today’s blog, your Overland Park, KS, prosthodontist talks about treating issues like TMJ disorder.
The Causes and Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
When the joints connecting your jaw and skull undergo major stress, this can lead to TMJ disorder. Without treatment, the disorder could impact how you open and close your mouth, and lead to a host of uncomfortable symptoms. Untreated TMJ disorder could also make bruxism, chronic teeth grinding, more likely, which then damages teeth and leaves them vulnerable to decay and infection. The strain could be caused by missing teeth, misalignment, injury, or issues with the growth of the jaw or the eruption of the teeth. You may encounter popping or clicking in your smile, toothaches, earaches, jaw pain, facial aches, and pain in the neck and shoulders. When this occurs, let us know right away!
Planning Your Treatment
Our team will take a close look at your smile with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, so we can look for signs of imbalance, wear, and friction on the smile. We then diagnose the presence of TMD and bruxism, and assess the severity. If you have damaged teeth, we can also plan the placement of restoration to address the injuries and improve overall bite balance. Every smile is unique, so we take a custom approach to treatment.
The Benefits of an Oral Appliance
For some, we could address tooth loss with a bridge or dental implant to improve overall balance. Our team could also discuss orthodontics to correct misalignment, or restorations to improve overall bite balance. But the most common solution is a comfortable and noninvasive oral appliance. Created based on detailed digital images taken of your smile, the appliance looks and fits like a mouthguard, but is designed to actually shift the jaw to ease stress and strain, so you avoid symptoms. If you also grind your teeth, this acts as a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to prevent further damage to the smile and prevent major complications. The device is easy to use, clean, and store, and can travel with you too.
If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like TMD and bruxism with an oral appliance, then contact our team today.
Ready to Stop Jaw Joint Pain?
With treatment for TMJ disorder, we can help you enjoy better comfort and a stronger smile. If you want a solution for your aching joints, then call your Overland Park and Prairie Village, KS prosthodontist, Dr. Stuart Dexter, DDS at (913)362-8200.