Do you struggle with jaw pains? Or wake up with morning headaches? It’s possible that you have a dysfunction jaw joint that our Cincinnati dental office can correct.
Jaw pains or muscle tension in the jaw is often the cause of an issue with the temporomandibular joint, commonly known as the TMJ. This joint connects the skull and jaw bone, and it’s working every time you open your mouth — eating, speaking, drinking. We use the TMJ hundreds of times a day.
At Bell Dental Group, we are offering comfortable treatments to resolve your jaw tension problems and get you out of pain for good. If you have jaw pains, call our office at 513-802-9440 today for a comprehensive exam. We can quickly identify the problem and start you toward the path of treating the problem.
The signs of TMJ problems
TMJ symptoms can sometimes overlap with other dental issues, so this problem often goes undiagnosed. People with TMJ often clench or grind their teeth (involuntarily) while they sleep. Because of this, people with TMJ issues often wake up with sore jaws and headaches.
Here are some other symptoms:
- Poor range of motion in the jaw
- Clicking, popping, or grinding or the jaw
- Sore teeth or gums
- Sensitivity to hold and cold sensation on teeth or gums
Patients who clench or grind their teeth also increase their risk of problems like tooth chips or even fractures. If you’re not treating your TMJ issues, you’re putting yourself at risk of serious problems that could be painful and costly to fix.
Treating your TMJ issues
There are a few different ways to treat TMJ issues, but most are either Band-Aids or comprehensive. Unfortunately, patients have been throwing medication at their problems for years and don’t consider fixing the problem once and for all.
In many cases, the bite is the source of the TMJ problems, so dentists advice patients to undergo full-mouth reconstruction with crowns and bridges or even orthodontics. In some severe cases, dentists advice the patients to undergo surgery. As you can imagine, these solutions can be extremely expensive and invasive. There is an easier way to treat your clenching and grinding problems: an oral appliance.
We can create the appliance in a few short steps. We first take impressions of the teeth and then create the device, also known as a TMJ splint. You’ll wear the appliance at night to prevent your teeth from touch. Because the splint doesn’t allow you to grind or clench, you’ll instantly remove the tension from the jaw. Most of our patients get used to the appliance within a few nights and see their morning headaches and jaw pains clear up!
If you have jaw pains or wake up with headaches, we can help. Just give our office a call today at 513-802-9440 to book a visit.