When people come to us with jaw pain and headaches due to TMJ disorder and/or bruxism, or if they have trouble sleeping due to sleep apnea, we can help. In fact, we can help without the need for oral surgery in many cases! In today’s blog, your team at Sunny Smiles talks about how we help tackle TMJ disorder, bruxism, and even sleep apnea with an oral appliance.
TMJ Disorder, Bruxism, and More
First, let’s look at how these issues impact our smiles, and when to seek treatment from your Sunny Smiles team. With TMJ disorder, strain on your jaw may lead to issues opening and closing your mouth, along with chronic headaches and a popping or clicking sensation in your jaw. With bruxism, you grind and clench your teeth nightly, which can damage them and increase the risk of toothaches and sensitivity as cavities and infection form. These two disorders are often related, one can lead to the other.
But what if you have trouble sleeping? If you suffer from chronic snoring, waking up in the night gasping for air, daytime exhaustion, and memory issues, this could be related to a disorder known as sleep apnea, which interrupts your REM sleep several times a night. Again, we can help combat this with a custom oral appliance!
Creating a Custom Oral Appliance
To create an oral appliance, we will first take detailed images of your bite with an intraoral camera, and also gather digital x-rays. With these images and measurements, we can design and craft a device that is custom-fitted for your bite and worn as you sleep. For TMJ patients, this helps shift the jaw to ease strain and stress on your joints, preventing symptoms during your waking hours. For those with bruxism, the appliance will do the same, and also place a soft barrier between the upper and lower teeth to prevent further damage.
If you have sleep apnea, this can also shift the jaw and tongue forward to prevent the collapse of soft issues while you sleep. This helps you stop snoring and ensures you can feel more rested during the day. No need for a CPAP machine in many cases!
The oral appliance itself is easy to clean and use, and it can travel with you on your summer vacation too!
Repairing Your Teeth As Needed
If you have imbalance due to injury or misshapen teeth, or if bruxism has damaged teeth, then we can offer repair. For minor injuries, we can offer care in one visit with bonding. We also have custom crowns for more severe injuries and imbalance!
Call Sunny Smiles for General Dentistry
Our team wants to help treat serious issues with a custom oral appliance. To find out more about our office or to schedule an appointment, please call Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry at 915.849.9000 today.