When you have TMJ disorder, also known as TMD, this could lead to pain in your jaw, and aches in the head and face. Fortunately, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist knows how to diagnose the underlying factors and choose the most appropriate treatment option. In fact, many people find relief with a simple oral appliance!
The Causes of TMD
Our temporomandibular joints connect our jaw and skull. We need these joints to eat and speak. However, when they undergo excessive strain, this could lead to painful symptoms. The causes vary, but often include issues that upset the balance of your bite, including tooth loss, injury to the face or jaw, teeth grinding (bruxism), and yes, dental misalignment. When we examine your smile with digital imaging technology, we will assess the cause and severity to find the most appropriate treatment option for you!
Jaw Pain, Headaches, and Other Warning Signs
People with the disorder may experience headaches and migraines, as well as jaw and facial pain. Aches in the neck and shoulder are common, as is a popping or crackling sensation. If you experience one or more of these warning signs, then please let us know right away. Our team will carefully examine your smile to help choose the most appropriate treatment option. Without treatment, the symptoms could grow worse, and you could develop associated disorders like bruxism, which could eventually damage your teeth and increase the risk of tooth decay and poor esthetics.
Creating an Oral Appliance
For some, we will need to correct misalignment to address TMD. We have tooth-colored brackets to make your braces less visible, and we could also correct the issue with a series of clear and entirely invisible aligners. Better alignment not only improves smile beauty, but restores balance to your smile and spares the jaw joints of unnecessary strain. However, we also have oral appliance therapy too. After we use the iTero® system to gather a series of digital images quickly and comfortably, we combine them to create a 3D model. This model allows us to fabricate and custom-fit an oral appliance.
The device will look and fit like a mouthguard, and is worn as you sleep. The device then eases strains and pressure, so you avoid symptoms and complications in your smile. If you grind your teeth, the device also helps by preventing further damage, since it places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT TMD?
Treatment could restore comfort and health to your smile again, and is possible without surgery! To learn more about how we treat strain in the jaws, then please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Springtown, Rome, and all surrounding communities.
