Dublin Dental Care is able to diagnose and treat many types of TMD/TMJ disorders. If you have lock jaw, difficulty chewing, or a popping sound what you open your jaw, you may have issues with TMJ. Dublin Dental Care help alleviate the pain and help treat jaw disorders.
TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder), TMJ disorder, and bruxism all refer to conditions affecting the jaw’s movement. These terms are often used interchangeably, which can cause confusion for the general public, patients, and medical professionals.
The acronym “TMJ” stands for the TemporoMandibular Joint, a complex structure made up of bones, muscles, cartilage, and nerves that connects your jaw to your skull. There are two temporomandibular joints — one on each side of the jaw — responsible for the jaw movements that enable you to chew, swallow, and speak.
Temporomandibular disorder, or TMD, occurs when one or both of these joints or the muscles involved in jaw movement become injured or inflamed. This can lead to symptoms such as jaw popping, nerve inflammation, muscle inflammation, muscle spasms, headaches, lockjaw, and teeth grinding, which is also known as bruxism.
Bruxism refers to the unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth, either while awake (awake bruxism) or asleep (sleep bruxism). These two types of bruxism are considered separate movement disorders.
Awake bruxism is more common than sleep bruxism. It is often linked to other mouth-related “bad habits” like nail-biting, chewing on a pencil or pen, cheek biting, and jaw bracing.
Sleep bruxism is classified as a sleep-related movement disorder. Essentially, clenching and grinding your teeth while you are sleeping.
Stress, anxiety, and sleep apnea are considered major risk factors for developing sleep bruxism. Also, previous jaw injuries, misaligned teeth, or inflammatory diseases such as arthritis can increase the risk of sleep bruxism. Additionally, sleep bruxism might have a genetic component and may run in families.
If you grind your teeth, it’s crucial to protect them from the damage this habit can cause. Our dentists may recommend a night guard to shield your teeth while you sleep. A custom-made night guard, created from a mold of your teeth, offers the best fit and comfort. While night guards are also available online and in stores, they don’t provide the same level of protection and don’t fit as well or last as long as a dentist-made custom night guard.
It’s important to note that night guards are different from sports mouthguards. Sports guards are designed to protect your teeth during activities like skiing, skateboarding, or playing contact sports such as hockey, football, baseball, or basketball. These mouthguards have extra cushioning for high-impact protection and may not be as comfortable for sleeping.
Teeth clenching or grinding can be a sign that your mind and body are struggling to cope with life’s pressures. Start by discussing your stress with your primary care physician to explore ways to trigger the relaxation response that calms your body during times of stress. Effective methods include meditation, counseling, exercise, massage, and deep-breathing techniques. When combined with a night guard made by your dentist, these stress-management strategies can help protect your jaw, teeth and mouth from the damage caused by grinding or clenching.
Since teeth grinding can stem from various causes, you may need additional help from your doctor or dentist to identify the underlying issue. For instance, if you’re having trouble getting restful sleep, a sleep study can monitor your sleep patterns and assess how your body responds to sleep-related problems.
The right treatment will depend on what’s going on in your mouth and body. Our dentists will conduct a thorough examination, which may include dental x-rays and other diagnostic tools, to identify the possible cause and recommend the appropriate steps to provide relief.
Contact Dublin Dental Care today and get treated for your TMJ.
Please call (614) 932-0200 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
