Agony of the daily grind…

DO YOU wake up in the morning with an aching jaw, headache, and difficulty opening your mouth? You have probably been grinding your teeth.

Regular grinding, known as bruxism, can wear teeth away and almost rivals snoring on the annoyance scale.

- Stress is believed to be a major role in the condition and it is also linked to the non-alignment of the top and bottom teeth.

- The mind subconsciously tries to correct the position during sleep, triggering the grinding.

- Other causes include snoring and sleep apnoea, where the upper airway relaxes during sleep causing blockage of airflow.

- Drinking tea and coffee or alcohol before going to bed can also increase the chance of tooth grinding.

- Some may be unaware they are grinding away so it’s worth asking the dentist for a check-up.

- Damage to teeth can often be repaired and there are mouth-guards available to help protect from further damage.

You may have to wear this mouth-guard for life and it’s worth finding out if it needs to be renewed as your teeth change.

- If the grinding is due to misalignment you should talk to your dentist about a brace.

- Other possible remedies include hypnosis and behavioural therapy to allow you relax.

- Avoid chewing gum: the repetitive action of chewing is almost identical to the motion of the jaw during bruxism.

- Hold a warm, damp cloth to your face before bedtime to relax the jaw.

Painful Headaches And Jaw Pain?

Do you clench and grind your teeth? Are you waking up with painful headaches that radiate from your temples, ears or jaw? Do you have limited mouth opening? Do you have sensitive teeth, loose teeth or toothaches in the absence of tooth decay? Do you have crowns or cosmetic veneers that constantly come off and need to be re-cemented periodically? Do you have clicking or popping of your jaw joint?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be suffering from a common problem known as TMJ Disorder, an often misunderstood or misdiagnosed condition. In our 18 years of experience Downtown, we have successfully treated thousands of patients for this problem. Our experience has led us to believe that TMJ Disorder is prevalent in the Downtown population.

The Downtown patient works on average more than 40 hours per week and shoulders most of the responsibilities in the household. This results in high levels of stress due to the high pressures of daily life. There is no doubt that stress is a major factor in increasing the symptoms of TMJ, but contrary to what most people believe, it’s not the primary cause. The primary causes are reflexes that are triggered by the teeth that cause spasms of the numerous muscles of the jaw, neck and face.

Most joints of the body are fixed in a hinge axis. This is the same movement a door makes when it’s opening and closing from its hinge. The jaw joint is the only joint in the body that is able to slide out of its socket. Because it can do this, it’s able to deviate from its hinge axis and do the complex motion of chewing, an ability we all take for granted.

If teeth occlude (come together) at the hinge axis position of the jaw, most people would be fine. However, if the teeth developed in a position where the bite occludes outside this hinge axis, where the jaw is slightly protruded from the socket, then there is a potential for TMJ symptoms. The average person cannot tell if their bite comes together forward of this hinge axis, only observing that their jaw is intermittently sore or they have a sudden, uncontrollable urge to clench and grind their teeth. Only a properly trained dental professional can diagnose if the teeth are occluding outside of this hinge axis position.

The initial treatment for TMJ Disorder is relatively simple and noninvasive. However, it does require thorough care by a dental professional. We simply make a custom TMJ splint, adjusting it meticulously at several appointments so that the patient’s teeth come together on the device in the ideal hinge axis position. After achieving proper adjustment the splint will eventually neutralize the harmful reflexes. A mouth guard from a drugstore or by mail order will not resolve TMJ Disorder because it will be arbitrarily set to a bite position. After wearing a proper TMJ splint for only 48 hours, the TMJ patient will notice a difference. They will find that their jaw feels more rested, headaches occur less frequently and teeth sensitivity is resolved.

For the most part, TMJ Disorder can be managed with splint therapy. But fixing the bite itself could be required if an individual cannot wear a splint indefinitely, by either re-contouring certain teeth, doing crowns and/or veneers, doing orthodontic treatment or a combination of any of these treatments. But contrary to what most people have heard, there is an effective treatment for this disorder. At the same time, if not treated and ignored, it will worsen, resulting in breaking teeth, worsening gum disease and/or severe jaw joint damage requiring painful surgeries.

About Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

TMD is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms of TMD can mimic those of many other conditions. If you are suffering from jaw pain, you may have TMD.

Is your jaw giving you pain?

If so, you may have TMD. Tempomandibular jaw disease, or TMD, is a broad term for a collection of jaw conditions characterized by problems such as:

• Unexplained pain in the face, jaw or teeth
• Limitations in jaw movement

How is TMD diagnosed?

TMD is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms of TMD can mimic those of many other conditions. For example, facial pain can be a symptom of a sinus or ear infection, abscessed tooth, migraine or any type of nerve related facial condition. A dentist experienced in diagnosing and treating TMD, such as those at the Art of Smile Making, will perform a complete medical evaluation including a detailed medical history and physical examination of your face, head, neck and jaw areas before making a diagnosis and recommending a course of treatment for TMD.

What are the symptoms of TMD?

While symptoms of TMD vary, the most common symptoms include:

• Dull pain in the jaw joint or surrounding areas
• Problems using the jaw or inability to open the mouth comfortably
• Clicking, popping or grating sounds from the jaw joint
• Locking of the jaw upon opening the mouth
• A bite that feels uncomfortable, painful or misaligned
• Headache or migraine
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Swelling of the jaw or on the side of the face
• Dizziness
• Ringing in ears or hearing loss

How is TMD treated?

Treatment for TMD involves relaxation of the jaw muscles and restoration of the jaw joint back to its unstrained position. This can involve the utilization of plastic appliances or other adjustment of the teeth to correct any misalignments of the bite.

If TMD has been present a long time or if the patient is suffering severe trauma, more involved medical or dental procedures may be required. Because untreated TMD may result in increasing discomfort or arthritis of the jaw joint, early detection is the goal.

Who suffers from TMD?

It is estimated that over 10 million people in the United States currently suffer from TMD. Significantly, while both men and women experience TMD, approximately 90 percent of the patients seeking treatment for TMD are women in their childbearing years. Research indicates that women seek treatment for TMD at a higher rate than men and that women are more likely than men to report ongoing pain associated with TMD. Also, research performed by the NIDCR has documented a correlation between hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptive therapy with pain treatment. This may explain why more women tend to suffer symptoms and seek help for TMD pain.