When you have jaw pain, or a chronic headache, then your disorder could be related to the balance of your smile. Poor bite balance strains the jaw joints to cause issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS, dentist talks about treating your TMJ concerns with a custom nightguard.
TMJ Disorder and Bruxism
TMJ disorder develops when the joints connecting your jaw and skull are treated, leading to the disorder and impacting how you open and close your mouth. With bruxism you grind and clench your teeth on a nightly basis, which can damage your teeth. Both can be brought on by issues like tooth loses, injury, misalignment, or issues with the growth and development of your smile. Wisdom tooth eruption could be a factor too. With both, patients can experience issues like jaw pain, facial aches, headaches and earaches, and pain in the neck and shoulders. With teeth grinding, you could also develop toothaches as your teeth are damaged and develop decay and infection. When you experience persistent pain in and around your smile, please reach out to our team today for a diagnosis.
Creating a Custom Nightguard
Our team will examine the smile to assess the cause and severity of your oral health concern, and find out what treatment works best for you. For many, this involves the use of a custom nightguard. The device is crafted based on detailed digital images we take of your smile from multiple angles. We then combine these to create a digital impression, one far more accurate than a traditional physical impression. In a lab setting, we use this to design and craft your nightguards, which looks and fits like a mouthguard, but helps treat your oral health issues.
Treating Your Imbalance and Discomfort
For TMJ disorder and bruxism, the oral appliance will help shift the jaw to ease strain and pressure on your bite, so you avoid symptoms. The device is worn as you sleep and is easy to use and clean. The device can also be stored easily and travel with you during the holidays. In addition to addressing imbalance in your bite, this can also place a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to prevent further damage to your teeth. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism, or if you would like an appointment to use your remaining 2023 dental benefits or health savings account funds before they expire, then please reach out to our team today.
Ready to Schedule a Diagnosis?
We’re ready to help restore balance and comfort to your smile. Call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling (913)681-5500 to transform your smile with a custom nightguard. We also serve patients who live in Overland Park, South KC, South OP, Martin City, MO, and all surrounding communities.
