Treating TMJ Disorder Could Stop Chronic Pain

If you have chronic pain in your jaw or face, such as headaches, migraines, or jaw pain, then you could be suffering from TMJ disorder, also known as TMD. To stop the pain and also correct the imbalance in your smile, you may need a custom oral appliance. In today’s blog, your Newhall, CA, dentist explains how treat TMJ disorder with a custom oral splint.

The Causes of TMJ Disorder

The disorder is brought on by immense pressure placed on the joints that connect your jaw and skull, known as the temporomandibular joints. These joints are responsible for the actions needed to eat and speak without complication, and pressure could eventually make opening and closing the mouth difficult. The disorder is often brought on by issues that alter the balance of your bite and strain the joints, such as misalignment, tooth loss, injury to the face or jaw untreated bruxism (teeth grinding), stress, and issues with the growth and development of the jaw or the eruption of your teeth.

Long-Term Benefits For Your Oral Health

Treating the issue helps prevent complications like bruxism, which could begin to damage your teeth and lead to major oral health complications. Correcting the causes of your jaw joint strain could also ensure open airways as well, limiting the risk of sleep apnea later in life. You also avoid damaging your teeth or suffering from painful symptoms, such as a popping or crackling sensation in your jaw, headaches, migraines, jaw pain, facial aches, and pain in the neck or shoulders. If you grind your teeth, tooth sensitivity and toothaches are often reported as well. To preserve your bite and keep your smile beautiful and functional, you need to seek treatment!

Our Custom Oral Appliance

We help treat the disorder with a custom-made oral appliance, one that is fitted specifically for your smile to ensure treatment with precision and accuracy. To begin, we need to take detailed digital images and measurements, which helps use assess the cause and extent of your TMD and to also create a oral appliance. The device looks like a mouthguard and is worn as you sleep, repositioning the jaw to ease strain and prevent damage for bruxism by putting a barrier between the upper and lower teeth. We could also help with orthodontics to correct misalignment, or by placing a crown to help improve bite balance. If you have any questions about diagnosing and treating issues like TMD or bruxism, or about repairing your smile, then contact our team today.

Ready to Stop Your Chronic Discomfort?

We want to help provide custom solutions for issues like TMD or even bruxism. Newhall Dental Arts wants to offer relief with a custom oral appliance. Contact our Newhall, CA office at (661) 259-7760 to find out how we address the jaw joint strain.