Do you battle frequent headaches that have no apparent cause?
Do you battle frequent headaches that have no apparent cause? Is stress causing pain through your jaws, face, neck and shoulders?
It could be that your migraines and muscle pain are related to a disorder of the Temporomandibular joint (TMJ.) TMJ disorders can create symptoms such as these, as well as other problems like jaw popping, locking, or abnormally worn teeth.
Help for Your Headaches
If your jaws are constantly clenching or gritting your teeth together, this strains the tissues around your TMJ, ears and face. Many people experience headaches or the inability to open and close their mouth comfortably. To reduce this strain, we can make a bite splint that forces the jaws into a relaxed position.
Bite splints prevent the teeth from coming into full occlusion. As a result, the joint tissues are only partially contracted and then go back into a relaxed position. Gradually the tension and tightness goes away, alleviating symptoms including headaches. Most patients begin seeing results very quickly from their bite splint therapy.
Worn Teeth
Excessive clenching due to stress will cause your teeth to wear down. It will also make restorations break or chip apart, resulting in the need for more dental treatment sooner rather than later. Our goal is to help you prevent this wear and avoid dental complications caused by TMJ disorder.
Professional Evaluation
A simple evaluation is all that is needed to find out whether or not TMJ therapy is something that you need. We will palpate your jaws on either side to evaluate their functioning, as well as the muscle tone.
Should you require any type of treatment, we will discuss your options and get started as soon as you are ready. Call our office today to schedule a brief exam and to find out whether or not TMJ disorder is causing your headaches.
