Regular headaches may be a sign of dental problems. Are you waking up with headache pain, or pain in your neck and shoulders? If so, you should make an appointment with your dentist. These particular aches and pains could be a result of problems with your teeth and mouth. These are common symptoms of TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder. Basically this is a condition that means that your jaws don’t align properly. Because your jaw is misaligned the jaw is stressed, which puts pressure on your nerves and muscles. This can result in morning headaches, migraines or facial and neck pain.
Not everyone with TMJ disorder shows symptoms, headaches or pain. TMJ can also lead to broken teeth, broken fillings, loose teeth and toothaches. If you do have any of these TMJ symptoms, they won’t get better without professional help.
To ease TMJ pain, rest the jaw eating soft foods, avoiding chewing gum and hard candies. There are also jaw exercises to stretch the jaw joints and relieve stress. For most people, the most effective treatment is a custom dental splint that fits over your upper and lower teeth. This reduces damage to your teeth and jaw from repeated clenching of the jaw or teeth grinding.
There are other options for treating TMJ if the above treatment has not worked for you. The temporomandibular joints can be flushed out, or an injection of cortisone can help relieve inflammation and pain. Surgery is also sometimes necessary. Contact Oyster Point Dental for the right solution for TMJ treatment.
