If you suffer from pain or discomfort in your jaw, or you notice a clicking or popping sound when you open and close your mouth, or you experience regular headaches, you might have TMJ, or temporomandibular joint syndrome, or another type of TMD, like Bruxism.
Symptoms of TMD:
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Swelling on the side of the face
- Pain or tenderness in your face, jaw joint area, neck, shoulders and in and around the early when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide.
- Clenching or grinding your teeth
- Upper neck pains/aches and shoulder pain
- Stiffness
- Earaches
- Locked jaw
- Bite problems
- A clicking or popping sound when opening or closing your mouth
- Tooth sensitivity or toothache
- Hearing problems/ringing in the ear
Treatment for TMD: Night Guard
Chinook Smiles is committed to helping treat symptoms associated with TMD. Once TMD is diagnosed, the first step in treatment is usually a custom night guard or splint. A night guard is a custom-made dental device that is worn over the upper and lower teeth to realign the jaw and alleviate pain associated with any misalignment. Realigning the jaw and preventing jaw clenching will help alleviate symptoms.
The night guard also works to protect against the physical wear and tear to the teeth from the constant grinding of bruxism so that you bite against the night guard, rather than wearing down your teeth. Nightguards have been shown to provide effective relief from TMD and protection from the negative results of teeth grinding, like chipping and breaking of the teeth. They are most often the first step in treatment before looking deeper for an alternative treatment. If the pain associated with grinding, like a sore jaw, headache, and tooth pain, is not improved through the use of the night guard, your dentist may refer you to a specialist in TMD.
Chinook Smiles looks forward to helping treat your TMD symptoms, including the symptoms and effects of Bruxism, and we invite you to book an appointment with us to review your symptoms and discuss possible treatment options.