TMJ Treatment May Be Necessary for Preventing Pain and Damage to Teeth and Crowns

Many people suffer from jaw pain and TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction) treatment can help. There are several reasons that pain can develop, but the most common one is teeth grinding. We treat patients that grind and clench their teeth during sleep. Many people don’t even know that they do it but live with constant jaw pain and headaches.

There are several signs of TMJ that can be watched for. Regular and consistent headaches and jaw pain top the list, but teeth themselves can also show signs of this behavior. For example, if your teeth start to develop ridges or bumps at the bottom, it could be due to either an infection or grinding teeth. This is common with children, and there is no clear reason as to what causes someone to grind their teeth in the first place.

Grinding can create problems with cosmetic dental work as well. After spending money and time to have beautiful veneers, dental implants, or crowns installed, seeing them wear down or become chipped due to grinding is something most patients don’t want to consider. Severe grinding can even crack or chip teeth, natural or cosmetic, which can create the need for further restorations or replacements. If your cosmetic dental work is showing signs of damage, this may be the cause and TMJ treatment can help.

The best way to address symptoms of TMJ is to have a night guard created. We do this after taking a mold or impression of a patient’s mouth so that the guard fits perfectly and securely. This way it will be comfortable enough to sleep in. The guard should be worn every night in order to prevent the upper and lower teeth from touching. When teeth can’t touch, it is impossible to clench or grind them. This prevents jaw pain and headaches from developing.

TMJ treatment is important because if left alone, it can create severe issues. Some people reach a point where they are no longer able to open their mouth when they wake up, eat like normal, or even speak comfortably. These are extreme cases, but it can happen to anyone that continues to suffer without treatment.

There are also ways to help reduce the pain in addition to wearing a night guard. Gentle massage can help to loosen up the muscles around the jaw so that it won’t feel so tight. Warm heat can also be applied to loosen help relax the jaw. This can be done at home as needed in order to feel more comfortable.

When none of this helps, surgery may be a solution. It is difficult to predict the outcome of surgery, and there is no way to guarantee that it will help. There are even concerns that surgery could make the symptoms worse. It should only be tried after careful consideration, and all other TMJ treatment have been exhausted.