When you have pain in your jaw or head, a clicking sensation, or discomfort in your teeth, this could mean the presence of two different but related disorders known as TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Our team can offer treatment to manage the issue and prevent dental damage. Your Richardson, TX, dentist’s office offers care with a custom and comfortable Bite Guard.
Signs of Trouble
When should you seek treatment for potential jaw joint strain? You should be aware of the common warning signs, which could include pain in the face, jaw, neck, and shoulders. You could also experience a clicking or popping sensation in your jaw, as well as toothache and tooth sensitivity. Persistent and prolonged discomfort in and around your face could mean you have imbalance or teeth grinding, and treatment could prevent complications with how you open and close your mouth, and lower the risk of complications like tooth decay and dental infection.
The Factors Behind TMJ Disorder and Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
Both disorders could be caused by issues like missing teeth, misalignment, injury to the face or jaw, wisdom tooth eruption, or issues with the growth of the jaw or eruption of the teeth. Teeth grinding could also be due to high stress levels in your life, or untreated TMJ disorder. Likewise, untreated bruxism could make TMJ disorder more likely. When you exhibit the signs we discussed above, we will conduct a detailed examination to assess the wear and friction on the teeth and select the appropriate treatment option. For some, this could involve prosthetics to replace missing teeth, orthodontics to correct misalignment, or even crowns or bonding to correct bite imbalance. But for many, an oral appliance is the right choice to ease discomfort!
Creating a Custom Bite Guard
A Bite Guard is custom-made from acrylic material, crafted for your mouth and fitting like a simple mouthguard. The device however repositions the jaw to ease strain and stress, and also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth to prevent further damage from teeth grinding. The device is easy to wear and store, and is used at night while you rest. You can clean it easily during the day, and it travels with you as needed. If you have any questions about how we address issues like TMJ disorder or bruxism, or how we can offer relief with a custom oral appliance, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Pain in Your Jaw?
Our team wants to offer a solution to your discomfort with a comfortable and convenient device known as a Bite Guard. To receive a custom oral appliance and enjoy better oral health, you can call our Richardson, TX, dental office at 972.231.5376.