Treating TMJ Disorder With An Oral Appliance
In our last blog, we talked about tackling bruxism and stopping chronic teeth grinding. We’re looking at a related issue in today’s blog. TMJ disorder, also known as TMD, could develop due to strain on your jaw and cause major complications with time. Your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about treating this with an oral appliance.
The Causes of TMJ Disorder
The joints that connect your jaw, the temporomandibular joints, control the actions necessary to eat and speak. So, when these same joints undergo excess strain, this could lead to problems with your oral health. For example, you could experience difficulty opening and closing your mouth fully, as well as a host of uncomfortable symptoms. The strain could be brought on by tooth loss, bruxism, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, high levels of stress, and even complications with the growth and development of your smile.
The Signs You Need Treatment
You should contact our team if you begin to experience common warning signs of trouble, such as a popping or clicking sensation in the jaw, headaches and migraines, jaw and facial pain, and aches in the neck and shoulders. Our team will employ digital x-rays and intraoral cameras to assess the cause and extent of your TMD, so we can create a treatment plan to correct the issue and restore health and function to your smile. In the meantime, you can ease symptoms with a warm washcloth to the side of your face, and by cutting back on caffeinated products and foods/snacks that are especially hard or chewy.
Noninvasive Solutions
For many, we could correct the issue by tackling your misalignment with Invisalign® aligners, or by improving bite balance through custom crowns or even dental bonding/contouring. For others, we could replace missing teeth with dental implants or implant-secured prosthetics. But the most common path to relief is with an oral appliance. The device is custom-made for your smile based on detailed digital images we take of your smile, and will look and fit like a mouthguard. Once in place, this repositions your jaw to ease strain, offering a noninvasive solution. If you grind your teeth, this also prevents further damage by placing a barrier between your upper and lower sets of teeth.
If you have any questions about how our team treats the factors behind your TMD to bring relief, then contact our team today to learn more. We’re ready to turn your smile to optimal health, function, and comfort again.
Talk To Your Cleveland, TX Dentist About Addressing TMD
We would love to help you enjoy a balanced and comfortable smile again. For more information on improving your bite’s balance, then contact your Cleveland, TX, dentist, Dr. Uhrenholdt, by calling (281) 592-1234.