TMJ disorder isn’t like other common issues that affect your dental health. For instance, conditions like tooth decay and gum disease have very direct causes (mainly, harmful oral bacteria), and therefore, they’re often easy to detect and diagnose. By contrast, TMJ disorder can mean a number of different specific conditions, each with different potential causes and their own set of unique symptoms. At our Auburn Hills, MI, dental office, we can help you alleviate TMJ disorder and the trouble that it can cause with highly customized treatment.
The range of aches and pains
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint – each of the two joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull. TMJ disorder primarily affects this area of your jaw, and as such, the most common symptoms of it can include jaw pain, stiffness, soreness, and difficulty with movement. However, your jaw is also controlled by the large group of trigeminal nerves that dominate your head, neck, and face. Any pain, damage, inflammation, or other discrepancy with your TMJs can aggravate this nerve group, sending pain to your head, neck, shoulders, ears, and more.
Diminishing bite function
Besides widespread discomfort, the damage that often marks TMJ disorder can also make biting, chewing, and speaking more difficult. Your TMJs move in tandem when you open and close your bite. If they don’t move properly, then your jaw will shift as it tries to find a functional position, which affects the overall function of your bite. This can lead to problems such as locked jaw, or persistent teeth-grinding (bruxism), which not only makes your TMJ disorder worse, but also leaves your teeth and oral structures vulnerable to other problems.
Increased risks of other problems
When your bite doesn’t function properly, your teeth and jaw joints take the brunt of the damage. As your TMJ disorder grows worse, your teeth can be exposed to increasingly uneven and excessive amounts of bite pressure that can quickly wear down and damage them. The longer your TMJ disorder and its symptoms are left untreated, such as bruxism, the more at-risk the rest of your oral health will be. By the time you do seek treatment, you may need to restore compromised tooth structure in several areas as well as reestablish your proper bite function.
Deal with TMJ disorder comfortably
If TMJ disorder is making your life more difficult, then learn how you can find relief with customized treatment. For more information, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI today at (248) 852-1820.
