Suffering from teeth grinding and TMJ can be one of the biggest dental problems you will face in your lifetime. The effects of teeth grinding can include costly damage to your teeth and dental restorations, as well as physical pain and stress. If you suffer from grinding your teeth, you may be unsure how to stop the habit, or even why it is occurring.
Understanding TMJ
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, and is usually referred to in conjunction with a misalignment of that joint, called TMJ disorder, or TMD. TMJ disorder can stem from a number of causes, including:
• Accident or jaw injury
• Cartilage damaged by arthritis
• Fatigued or overworked muscles
• Disk erosion or poor neck alignment
TMJ is treated by a branch of dentistry called neuromuscular dentistry. A neuromuscular dentist specializes in realigning the jaw by relaxing the tendons and muscles that connect the upper and lower jaw, by insuring that the teeth align correctly for a healthy bite, and by providing dental restorations to help maintain that healthy alignment of the jaw. Only a neuromuscular dentist is qualified to treat TMJ disorders, but very severe cases may require surgery.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
Teeth grinding is often one of the main symptoms of TMJ disorder. Unfortunately, teeth grinding itself is just one of many symptoms of TMJ disorder, and can itself lead to other complications. Problems caused by TMD-related teeth grinding may include:
• Broken teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Ground down teeth
• Headaches
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Difficulty hearing
Each of these symptoms can be effectively treated only by alleviating the teeth grinding, which in turn can only be alleviated by treating the TMJ. If you have been suffering from TMJ disorder, however, beginning neuromuscular dentistry treatments may relieve your discomfort immediately, as happens with many patients.
You may also suffer from a number of other symptoms if you have a misaligned TMJ. Many of them may be interrelated to grinding your teeth and it is very likely that you experience a number of negative symptoms, not just one. You may have even tried other types of treatment, like massage or physical therapy without result, or experiencing temporary relief, but not permanent relief.
Unfortunately, I have the symptoms mentioned above, and I plan to visit my doctor this weekend to be sure. However, since it was my first time experiencing pain in my jaws, I searched for a treatment I could perform at home, and I found a TMJ massage tool, and I find this helpful and handy.
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