Do you often experience a popping or crackling sensation in your jaw? If so, this could be a potential warning sign of TMJ disorder, or TMD. Without treatment, you could continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms. In today’s blog, your El Paso, TX, dentists talk about treating your TMJ disorder with an oral appliance.
The Common Warning Signs
How do you know if you have an issue like TMJ disorder? Well, you will likely experience crackling or popping sensations in the jaw. Headaches and migraines are common too, as are aches in the face, neck, and shoulders. When you experience pain in and around your smile on a regular basis, don’t ignore this discomfort. Instead, give us a call to arrange for a diagnosis. Our team will thoroughly examine your smile with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras to diagnose the cause of your pain and to recommend a treatment plan to bring relief from TMJ disorder.
Causes and Possible Complications
The disorder occurs when the jaw joints undergo excessive strain and stress, which could be brought on by tooth loss, teeth grinding, dental misalignment, injury to the jaw or face, or issues with the growth of your smile and the eruption of the teeth. Without treatment, the disorder could cause worsening pain and even complications with how you open and close your mouth, further impacting your overall health. But relief is possible with an oral appliance! In the meantime, try to avoid hard or chewy foods, which could increase symptom severity. You should also use a warm washcloth to the side of your face to ease any strain. Over-the-counter pain relievers could help too.
Brining Relief With an Oral Appliance
Our team will begin by taking detailed digital images of your smile from multiple angles, which we then use to design and craft the oral appliance in a lab setting. The finished product will look like a mouthguard and is worn as you sleep at night. When in place, the device actually repositions the jaw to ease strain and stress. This improves your bite balance and protects your smile from complications. If you also grind your teeth, this protects you from further dental damage by putting a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth.
If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like TMJ disorder, or about addressing teeth grinding, then contact our team today.
TALK TO SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO, TX, ABOUT STOPPING TMD
We’re ready to ease the strain on your jaw joints, so you avoid TMD symptoms. If you’re ready to improve the balance of your bite, then contact our Sunny Smiles location on N Zaragoza Rd in El Paso, TX at 915-849-9000.