By Arthur Kezian
Have you been feeling major discomfort and pain in your jaw? Has it been giving you headaches? There is a possibility that you have a TMJ disorder. If so, it is important to understand what TMJ is, why it can happen, and how it can be prevented.
The TM is located in your jaw and slides around to help you move your mouth. It is a ball-and-socket joint so it aids in opening and closing your mouth, chewing, talking, and even yawning. Your teeth, joints, nerves, and muscles all work together, harmoniously, to allow correct positioning and operating of the jaw. If any specific area of this does not work in alliance with the rest, problems can arise.
There can be various reasons to why your symptoms can flare. If you have had injury to your jaw, or to the joint itself, it can create problems. Movement of the disc between the ball-and-socket can also be a cause for TMJ pain. Arthritis in the jaw joint as well as stress can both cause the problems as well. One of the most common causes, though, is grinding. The pressure that comes from grinding and clenching your teeth can really aggravate the joint.
If you have experienced any of these causing factors, you can feel pain in your jaw, your neck and shoulders, in some cases, your ears, and even get headaches or dizziness. You might experience problems opening and closing your mouth and might hear popping and clicking sounds when you do. You might even experience your jaw locking in position or have a swelling towards the side of your face.
Hearing all this might be frightening, but it is important to know that there are treatment options if you visit your TMJ dentist. Some conventional treatments include medication like pain killers, muscle relaxants, or antidepressants, getting dental work done to balance your alignment or correct the way your bite comes together, or using a night guard while you sleep at night to reduce the effects of grinding and relieve pressure.
If you have any of the aforementioned problems, it is important for you to see your Los Angeles dentist to know which treatment option is right for you. If you have any questions about this article, call our dentist today at 323 467 2777!
Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777