When you suffer from jaw pain and persistent headaches, this could be due to strain on your jaw. You could be experiencing the symptoms of complications like TMJ disorder and bruxism (chronic teeth grinding). Our team can help with an oral palatine. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS, dentist talks about our custom nightguards.
Signs You Should See Our Team
When should you contact our team for a diagnosis and to see if you need treatment? Essentially, any discomfort that develops in your smile and doesn’t abate after a day or two is a sign of trouble. For example, a persistent ache or tooth sensitivity when you eat or drink could mean a cavity. Sore, red gums that bleed easily could mean gingivitis or gum disease. But if you have headaches, jaw and facial pain, popping or clicking in your jaw, toothaches or tooth sensitivity, and earaches, this could point to issues with jaw joint strain, such as TMJ disorder or bruxism, and could mean you need to see our team for an exam. We can offer a comfortable and noninvasive solution in many cases!
TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder, also known as TMD, occurs when the joints connecting your jaw and skull undergoes persistent strain, which could be brought on by injury to the face or jaw, issues with growth of your jaw or the eruption of your teeth, wisdom teeth erupting, misalignment, tooth loss, or untreated bruxism. The disorder not only causes discomfort, but can also upset how you open and close your mouth, leaving you feeling uncomfortable and impacting your daily life.
Bruxism
Bruxism is a disorder that causes you to grind and clench your teeth on a nightly basis, and doesn’t abate with time. Over time, the pressure could actually wear down outer enamel or chip and crack teeth, causing them to appear shorter and to leaving them vulnerable to painful complications like tooth decay and dental infection. This can be brought on by the same factors that cause TMJ disorder, as well as high levels of stress in your daily life. When you encounter persistent pain in and around your mouth, head, and jaw, you should let us know right away so we can conduct a diagnosis.
Creating a Nightguard
Treatment starts with a diagnosis, in which we will examine your smile carefully to look for signs of wear and friction, and other indicators of jaw joint strain. We can then create a treatment plan to bring relief, and often one that includes wearing an oral appliance as you rest. The nightguard is custom-made based on detailed digital images and impressions we take of your smile, and is custom-fitted to ensure a comfortable fit and treatment with precision.
Treatment
The oral appliance is worn as you sleep, and once in place it helps reposition your jaw to ease strain and stress, so you avoid painful symptoms and enjoy a better bite balance and movement. The appliance also places a barrier between the upper and lower teeth, so your tooth grinding doesn’t damage your smile. The device is also easy to clean and store, and can travel with you as needed. This offers an effective and noninvasive solution to your strained jaw joints.
Other Solutions
Our team could also address other returning factors to stop your TMJ and bruxism-related discomfort. For example, we can use custom crowns or bonding to repair damage and improve bite balance, easing strain on the joints. If you have misalignment, we could discuss orthodontics to correct your smile and improve the alignment of your teeth. Replacing missing teeth can ease strain, and we can do this with custom bridges, dental implants, and even fixed dentures. If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat these concerns, or about how we create our custom oral appliances, then contact our team today to learn more. Everyone deserves a healthy and comfortable smile and we can help to help you enjoy relief and avoid complications that could further impact your oral health and smile beauty in negative ways.
Ready for a Custom Nightguard?
We want to help you enjoy good oral health and a comfortable smile. Call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling (913)681-5500 to learn more about our custom oral appliances. We’re ready to offer relief so you can enjoy a better quality of life, and also avoid issues like cavities and infections in the months and years to come! We also serve patients who live in Overland Park, South KC, South OP, Martin City, MO, and all surrounding communities.
