TMD: What is it, and how do you fix it?

Posted by: Dr. Sirakian Categories: Dentistry

Have you ever experienced jaw pain? Maybe when you wake up in the morning you have tenderness in your face and problems opening your mouth, or maybe you have been hearing a clicking or popping sound when you chew. If you have experienced any of these symptoms you may have TMD otherwise known as temporomandibular disorder.

The temporomandibular joint is the hinge that connects the jaw to the bones in the skull. This joint makes it possible for the jaw to move up and down, side to side, and also allows for chewing, talking, and yawning to take place.

While the cause of TMD is not certain, it is believed that activities such as grinding or clenching your teeth, arthritis, and stress are all causes of TMD. There are many symptoms associated with TMD which typically affects people ages 20 to 40. You may have problems opening your mouth wide, experience pain or tenderness in the jaw joint or neck and shoulders. Clicking and popping when chewing could also occur, along with swelling on the side of your face. Headaches, toothaches, and earaches are also common symptom.

While TMD is a painful disorder that alters your day-to-day activities, the good news is that your dentist can help fix it. Here are three things a dentist might try to treat TMD.

1.Medications
The right medication can make a huge difference in alleviating the pain caused by TMD. Often times a muscle relaxer will be prescribed to relax the jaw if you grind or clench your teeth. A dentist may also prescribe medications for pain or swelling if your symptoms are severe.

2.Splint or night guard
Relieving your TMD symptoms may be as simple as popping in a night guard before going to bed. Night guards and sprints help protect your teeth from clenching and grinding which helps correct your bite. A night guard is worn when sleeping, while a splint is worn all the time. Ask your dentist if a night guard or splint is right for you.

3.Dental work
If your TMD is so severe, and non-surgical tactics haven’t worked, there are multiple procedures your dentist can perform in order to ease the pain. A dentist can replace missing teeth, or add crowns, bridges, or even add braces to help correct your bite.

Visit your dentist if you are having jaw pain, and he or she can find the right solution for you.

How Heartburn Can Ruin Your Teeth

At first it may seem that heartburn has nothing to do with your teeth. After all, the burning sensation is in your chest, not your mouth. However, repeated instances of heartburn can actually cause erosion and staining of the teeth. When your stomach produces a large amount of acid in order to digest a hard-to-digest […]

4 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth is a seemingly simple part of your daily routine. However, even if you’re a conscious brusher, doing any of the following things could be causing your teeth more harm than help. Multitasking While Brushing Are you one of those people who checks their emails or scrolls through social media while brushing? If […]

4 Common Oral Health Problems and How to Avoid Them!

Your smile is your best chance at making a great first impression. It’s the first thing people see, and it can be the key to opening a conversation, making a new friend, or even brightening someone’s day. So, if oral health issues are keeping your smile hidden, it’s time to do something about it! Here […]

If You Found Something Weird in Your Mouth, It Could Be This!

Human nature usually leads us to jump to conclusions. We get really nervous when we find a new lump, bump, or mole on our body, because we know it doesn’t belong and it wasn’t there before. However, if you’ve found a soft swelling in the mouth, it could simply be a mucocele, which is a […]

How Clean is Your Toothbrush? 3 Gross Things That Could be Lurking–and How to Avoid Them!

You might be tempted to wait until you get a new toothbrush at your next dental cleaning to switch toothbrushes, but if you knew what could be lurking in the brush, you might want to consider switching brushes more often. E. Coli: Most people keep their toothbrushes in their bathroom, a room that in all […]