If you suffer from head and neck pain it is a strong possibility that this originates from dental health problems. A disorder called Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is extremely common and if left untreated can result in some serious discomfort in your mouth and throughout your body.
Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the ball and socket joint just in front of your ears, which connects to your jawbone. It is one of the strongest, most flexible and used joint and muscle systems in your body. It is this joint that enables you to talk, eat and move your jaw from side to side.
Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition that can take years to develop resulting in physiological problems including:
- Jaw pain and/or stiffness
- Headaches
- Vague tooth soreness or toothache
- Sensitive teeth
- Painful or tender jaw joint
- Difficulty opening jaw
- Pain and fatigue when eating hard or chewy foods
- Clicking, popping or grinding sound in your jaw joint
- Ear pain
- Grinding or clenching while sleeping or awake
- Breaking or cracking of teeth
- History of medically diagnosed migraine headaches
This can often be diagnosed as a back problem and not jaw misalignment. Neuromuscular dentistry serves to realign your jaw and correct your misaligned bite.
By determining the ideal position of your jaw using computerized measurements, the team at Tweed Smilecare is able to assess if your teeth, head and neck are out of alignment. If a problem is detected, we are then able to reposition your jaw to those measurements.
Malocclusion is relatively easy to correct by adjusting your bite with a custom made splint, similar to a mouthguard. This is usually worn at night or during times of stress as malocclusion can lead to tooth grinding and clenching which is a trigger to more serious dental issues.
Patients who undergo treatment for TMD experience many benefits from decreased or eliminated pain and discomfort to better overall health, longer-lasting dental restorations and more restful sleep.
