When you have TMJ disorder and/or bruxism (teeth grinding), this could mean discomfort in the face, neck, and head. Lack of treatment could also leave you vulnerable to serious oral health complications, such as damaged or infected teeth. But your Leawood, KS, dentist can provide relief from issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism!
The Causes and Warning Signs of Trouble
When should you see our team for treatment? With TMJ disorder, the joints connecting your jaw and skull have become strained, which can create pain in the face, neck, shoulders, and head. You could also experience a popping or clicking sensation in your jaw, as well as toothaches. With bruxism, you grind and clench your teeth, which also creates headaches, jaw pain, facial aches, and toothaches and tooth sensitivity. While these are two very different disorders, they are often related and can be caused by high stress levels, missing teeth, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, or issues with the growth of the jaw or eruption of the teeth.
The Risks of TMD and Bruxism
What risks do these disorders pose for your smile? With TMJ disorder, you could develop issues fully opening and closing your mouth, which impacts speech and meals, and leads to a host of uncomfortable symptoms. With bruxism, the grinding and clenching could wear down teeth and even crack or chip the outer structure, which leaves them vulnerable to complications like tooth decay and infection. To avoid worsening discomfort or the risk of tooth loss, you need to see us for treatment.
Treatment with an Oral Appliance
For some, we could offer relief with orthodontics to ease misalignment. With prosthetics we could replace missing teeth. Our custom crowns and dental bonding procedure could help improve the overall balance of your bite too. But the most common solution is an oral appliance! This is a device that will look and fit like a mouthguard. But once in place will actually help shift your jaw to ease stress and strain, so you avoid symptoms during the night. If you grind your teeth, this also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage to them. If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism, or if you want to schedule your first checkup and cleaning of 2025, then contact our team today to get started.
Do You Have Any Questions About Family Dentistry?
Our team can offer family dentistry to help common oral health issues like TMJ disorder and teeth grinding! Call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling (913)681-5500 to learn more. We want to ensure you have a strong, healthy, and comfortable smile, one that is free of damage and discomfort.
