Have you ever heard of TMJ disorder? A jaw joint disorder, TMJ disorder, also known as TMD, impacts oral health and leads to a number of serious complications, including painful symptoms and teeth grinding. Fortunately, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist can use custom-made aligners and appliances to provide TMJ therapy, improving your smile’s health and comfort!
The Causes of TMD
Our temporomandibular joints, which connect the jaw and skull, control the actions needed to eat and speak. People may develop TMD when these jaw joints undergo excessive strain. Once TMD occurs, lack of treatment could allow the issue to worsen and eventually leads to difficulties fully opening and closing the mouth. What causes the jaw joints to become so strained? Often, misalignment is the culprit, but other factors include bite imbalance, injury to the face or jaw, untreated teeth grinding, high levels of stress in your daily life, or tooth loss. Understanding the cause is necessary for our team to recommend the most appropriate treatment option.
Warning Signs and Long-Term Complications
People with the disorder may experience soreness in the jaw or face, or aches in the neck or shoulders. Common symptoms also include persistent headaches, as well as a popping or clicking in the jaw. If the patient also grinds his or her teeth, then the pressure could lead to damaged teeth, causing tooth sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks and toothaches. If you experience persistent in and around your face or jaw, then please let us know right away. Using advanced technology, such as digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, we can obtain a clear view of your smile. We look for signs of jaw joint strain and wear and friction on the teeth.
Treatment Options
To stop the harmful symptoms, we need to adjust your smile’s bite and balance. In some cases, we may suggest orthodontics. Braces and clear aligners could reposition the teeth to improve alignment and reduce strain on the joints. TMJ therapy could also include creating and prescribing an oral appliance. Custom-made, the device will fit similarly to a nightguard and be worn at night. The device repositions the jaw to ease strain on the joints and provide relief. If you have any questions about diagnosing and treating TMJ disorder, or if you have an uneven smile and would like to discuss orthodontic solutions, then contact our team today.
Stopping TMD in Fort Worth
Our team employs advanced orthodontics to help improve the health and function of your smile. To schedule your consultation and discuss orthodontic treatment, please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Rome, Haslet, Azle, Saginaw, and all surrounding communities.
