Do you have frequent headaches or migraines? For many, this could be due to an oral health issue known as TMJ disorder, or TMD. Without treatment, this could lead to a host of complications, including the onset of teeth grinding. In today’s blog, your Omaha, NE, dentist talks about how headaches could potentially indicate TMJ disorder!
The Causes of TMD
What causes a disorder like TMD to develop? People often suffer from TMJ disorder when their jaw joints, which connect the jaw and skull, undergo excessive stress and strain. This pressure could be right on by factors like tooth loss, bruxism (teeth grinding), injury to the face or jaw, misalignment, or issues with the growth of the jaw or eruption of the teeth. The arrival of wisdom teeth could be a factor too. As part of the treatment process, we will examine your smile to identify the underlying causes of your TMJ disorder.
Headaches and Other Symptoms
What symptoms should you be aware of? We hope you will reach out to our team when you experience jaw and facial pain, headaches and migraines, and aches in the face and neck, and discomfort in your shoulders. If you also grind your teeth, there could be tooth sensitivity when you eat or drink or persistent toothaches. Don’t ignore these symptoms, as the disorder could eventually cause issues with fully opening and closing your mouth!
Treatment with an Oral Appliance
We could help ease the disorder with orthodontics to treat misalignment, or by replacing missing teeth with dental prosthetics. We could even use bonding or a custom dental crown to help improve overall bite balance and ease pressure on the jaw joints. But in most cases, we offer relief with a simple and effective oral appliance, a noninvasive treatment option.
We begin by taking detailed images and impressions of your bite, which we use to custom-fit an oral appliance, which looks and fits much like a mouthguard. When the oral appliance is worn during sleep, this helps reposition the jaw to ease pressure and bring relief. For people who grind their teeth, this also places a soft barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage. The appliance can halt symptoms and is easy to use and care for, and it can even travel with you too!
If you have any questions about how we bring relief from painful TMD symptoms, or if you would like to schedule a visit today, then contact our team right away.
Learn More About TMJ Treatment By Calling Our Team
If you have persistent headaches or migraines, we hope you will contact our team for a diagnosis. Call Pacific Hills Dental in Omaha, NE, today at (402)330-2243.
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