If you start to experience problems with your jaw, the discomfort you feel can be difficult to ignore. The longer you wait to do something about issues like joint pain and stiffness, limited movement, or teeth grinding, the harder it can be to ignore your discomfort. Are you simply stuck with these problems? If not, how can you address them? Problems with jaw movement or alignment can occur for many reasons. Fortunately, your Northwest IN dentist can help you take on this issue by providing TMJ treatment. In addition to providing oral appliances that help correct uneven movements and joint imbalances, we can examine you to determine if restorative treatment is needed to improve your bite.

Is A Problem With Your Jaw Movement Affecting Your Quality Of Life?

Worsening issues with TMJ disorder can cause big problems for your quality of life. As time passes, you can find it harder and harder to bite, chew, and speak without pain and stiffness. You can also experience difficulties if you begin grinding and clenching your teeth at night. This problem, bruxism, can both start after you start to have issues with TMJ disorder and occur because your jaw problems have not been addressed.

Using An Oral Appliance To Correct Awkward Or Painful Jaw Movement

A custom guard that you wear at night can help you reduce the stress and strain that affect your jaw. When worn, it will help correct the way you hold your lower jaw while you rest. With this correction, you can experience a welcome reduction in stress and tension, which is beneficial for both the joints and muscles. This can also lead to more even and comfortable movement. In some cases, we may recommend restorative dental work in addition to treatment with an oral appliance.

We Can Also Address Related Struggles With Bruxism

Bruxism is a problem that is responsible for causing daily discomfort as well as dental damage. Superficial wear and tear can hurt the quality of your smile, while worsening friction on teeth can eventually lead to damage that hurts your appearance as well as your oral health. An oral appliance will stop you from grinding your teeth at night. This can protect you from hurting your smile, and it can also stop mounting pressure from chipping or cracking your enamel.

Talk To Your Northwest IN Dentist About Managing Your TMJ Problems

TMJ problems should not be taken lightly. When they are not being managed, they can cause a person to live with pain and movement difficulties on a daily basis. If you have questions about this problem, or are ready to start planning your treatment, contact Healthy Smiles in Northwest IN by calling 219-938-2637!