Do You Have Frequent Headaches and Ear Pain?
Do you have frequent headaches and ear pain? This might be as a result of TMJ disorder. If your jaw pops while eating, you may have a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Each TMJ has a disc between the ball and socket. The disc cushions the load while enabling the jaw to open and rotate or glide. If any part of this complex system of muscles, tissues, ligaments, and bones dislocates or becomes inflamed it may result in a painful TMJ disorder.
10 to 30 million women suffer from TMJ disorder. Some of the symptoms of TMJ disorder can be mistaken for migraines or ear infections, which can be triggered by clenching and grinding your teeth in your sleep.
What is TMJ Disorder?
Experts aren’t completely sure what causes the problem. It may be a chronic clenching or grinding of teeth due to stress, arthritis, tooth and jaw alignment or trauma from an injury. For a large number of people, TMJ disorders begin for no obvious reason.
Do this simple test: open your jaw slightly, place a finger over the joint in front of your ear, and then open wide until you can feel the joint move. If you feel the joint click or if it’s tender, you may have TMJ disorder. If you suspect that you have TMJ disorder, call our office and make an appointment to see Dr. Angela S. Evanson, DDS!
How Can Dr. Evanson Help Me With TMJ?
Diagnosis is an important step before treatment. Part of the dental examination includes checking the joints and muscles in your jaw for tenderness, clicking, popping or difficulty moving. Sometimes TMJ sufferers can find relief by reducing the amount of wear and tear to the joint by eliminating chewing gum. eating softer foods, modifying the pain with heat packs and practicing relaxation techniques to control jaw tension.
The most important thing to keep in mind when trying any TMJ exercises is that they shouldn’t hurt. Pain when stretching or opening your mouth is a red flag. A recommended course of treatment, may also include the following:
- Nighttime bite guard to minimize clenching and grinding
- Exercises to strengthen your jaw muscles
- Medications such as muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatory medications
- Fixing an uneven bite by adjusting or reshaping some teeth
Whatever the treatment plan, you can trust that Dr. Evanson will suggest the most appropriate therapy to treat your TMJ disorder.
What Happens if My TMJ Disorder is Not Treated?
If you don’t seek treatment, the symptoms of TMJ may worsen over time causing other issues.
- Joint damage and inflammation
- Wearing down of your teeth
- Increasing muscle contraction causing pain in your head neck and face
- Development of an airway sleep disorder
- Ear ringing and the feeling of fullness in your ears
Living with TMJ affects your sleep, what you eat, and the amount of oxygen you breathe in at night. Airway sleep disorders and TMJ are intimately linked and as TMJ progresses it is often the cause of sleep disordered breathing. The lack of oxygen at night can lead to chronic headaches and neck pain, and are often combined with brain fog.
You Don’t Have to Struggle With TMJ Disorder!
There are several treatments available for relieving the symptoms of TMJ disorder. If you suffer from pain in the jaw or frequent headaches and ear pain, avoid chewing gum and make an appointment with Dr. Evanson by calling (720) 409-0008 or contact us online.
Dr. Evanson is located in Parker, Colorado, she also provides dental treatment to those in the surrounding communities of Highlands Ranch, Aurora, Castle Rock and Lone Tree.
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