Do you agree that your jaw should not ache? Do you prefer to live life without frequent headaches, including migraines?
Would you rather stop behaviors that damage the enamel of your teeth? Do you want to sleep better? And would you like to eat without pain or other problems?
If you are dealing with one or more of those problems, then it’s possible you have a TMJ disorder. And if you have a TMJ problem, there’s a reasonable chance that you are grinding your teeth together, even if you may not be aware of it.
Our team at the office of Brian Davey, DDS, has a TMJ treatment that can help you feel like yourself and could save your smile. To schedule a consultation at our San Diego, CA office, call 858-762-9991.
Understand Your Pain
You shouldn’t live with pain, but unfortunately, TMJ issues can cause a lot of it. To understand why, simply place your fingers below your ears. Now open and close your mouth. Do you feel the movement of your jaw?
You are feeling your temporomandibular joints. These are ball-and-socket joints that allow you to move your lower jaw open and closed and, to a lesser degree, side to side.
TMJ problems can develop for a number of reasons — arthritis, injuries, alignment problems, and the aforementioned teeth grinding. In many cases, people with TMJ disorders have a combination of factors to address.
But knowing the location of these joints can help you understand why headaches, earaches, jaw pain, jaw stiffness, as well as neck, upper back, and shoulder pain can all be symptoms of this problem.
These pain can be more common in the morning for people who clench or grind their teeth at night. But many people also clench their teeth when stressed, and you may notice pains are more common after eating meals.
Take Charge of Your Situation
If you are a chronic teeth grinder, our team has a great tool that can help. Using a custom-designed oral appliance, you can protect your teeth from the wear and tear that comes from this behavior.
That’s just the first step in the process, however. You also need to relieve the added stress on your jaw joints and the surrounding muscle tissues. The appliance can service a rehabilitative effect in that regard by keeping your jaw in a more relaxed state while you sleep.
Many of our patients have reported that headaches are rare or non-existent after trying this treatment option.
By protecting your enamel, you also reduce your risk of tooth sensitivity, tooth infections, and gum disease.
In short, stopping teeth grinding is good for your overall and your oral health.
Let Us Help You Feel Better
TMJ disorders can interfere with your quality of life, but it doesn’t need to be that way. You can take control of the situation. You can start by contacting Dr. Davey’s office to ask about our TMJ treatment.
To request a consultation, reach out to us with our online form or by calling 858-762-9991.
