TMJ disorder means that bite imbalance and strained jaw joints have started to cause serious discomfort. Without treatment, this could impact your oral health and quality of life. Fortunately, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist has a solution for your disorder with TMJ Therapy. In today’s blog, learn more about our custom oral appliance.
The Causes of TMJ Disorder
How does a disorder like TMD develop? Well, our jaw is connected to the skull with the temporomandibular joints, which control the movements needed to eat and speak. However, the disorder occurs when these joints undergo excessive strain. This could be caused by missing teeth, an injury to the face or jaw, malocclusion, dental misalignment, untreated bruxism (teeth grinding), or other factors that upset the balance of your bite.
Warning Signs and Impacts
If you have TMJ disorder, then you could notice headaches, migraines, jaw pain, facial aches, or discomfort in your neck and shoulders. Popping or clicking in the jaw could occur as well. Teeth grinding, which could be caused by untreated TMD, could also mean toothaches and tooth sensitivity. Without treatment, this could cause an increase in discomfort and even alter how you open and close your mouth, impacting your ability to eat and sepal comfortably. When you experience one or more of these warning signs, then please contact our team today for a diagnosis.
Treatment with an Oral Appliance
First, we will make a diagnosis with advanced imaging systems, identifying the factors behind your TMD and dental misalignment. From there, we will create a personalized treatment plan. For some, we could use orthodontics like Invisalign® aligners or braces with tooth-colored brackets to correct misalignment and ease strain in your smile. For others, we could offer TMJ therapy with an oral appliance.
The device will be created with digital images we take of your smile using the iTero® system. This allows us to gather images quickly and comfortably, and forgo the need to take physical impressions. The computer impressions will let us design and craft the appliance with precision and accuracy. The device will look and fit like a mouthguard. When worn, this adjusts the fit of your bite and eases strain on your joints, preventing symptoms. If you grind your teeth, this also places a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth.
The Benefits of TMJ Therapy
We would like to help find the best solution to your headaches and jaw joint strain, then let us know. If you have any questions about correcting bite imbalance, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Azle, Saginaw, and all surrounding communities.
