Teeth-Grinding and Jaw Pain
Keeping up with regular general dental care isn’t just about preventing tooth decay and gum disease. During your dental examinations, we’ll also carefully analyze aspects of your bite that could indicate a range of other conditions, such as chronic teeth-grinding or a problem in your jaw’s joints (TMJs). If you exhibit a bite issue, then we can help correct it with customized treatment, such as an oral appliance designed to improve your bite balance, protect your teeth from grinding, and more.
What Is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the clinical term for chronic teeth-grinding, and is much more serious than the occasional teeth-grinding and clenching that most of us do. If you have bruxism, then you grind your teeth unconsciously most of the time, especially while you sleep at night, as the result of one or several different factors. For example, if your bite is imbalanced, you’re under excessive stress, or you have TMJ disorder, then these may be factors in your teeth-grinding condition.
What Is TMJ Disorder?
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, and describes the two joints on either side of your jaw that allow it to open, close, and move. TMJ disorder describes a condition with one or both of these joints that inhibits your bite’s proper function and can lead to a host of discomforts, including chronic jaw pain and headaches. The disorder may result from inflammation, damage, misalignment, or more in one or both of your TMJs, and it can often result from the stress of chronic teeth-grinding, an injury, a bite imbalance, or more.
How Do We Treat Both?
In many cases, we can treat bruxism and/or TMJ disorder with a comfortable, custom-designed oral appliance. The appliance can stop your teeth from grinding each other down while you sleep, and can help your jaw joints rest more comfortably throughout the night. Depending on the extent of your condition, the appliance may be all you need to address it, or you may require additional restorative treatment to rebuild damaged tooth structure and restore your bite’s balance.
We can treat your bite dysfunction
If you constantly grind your teeth and/or suffer from chronic TMJ disorder, then we may be able to help you find relief with customized treatment. To schedule an appointment, call Elm Creek Dental in Maple Grove, MN, at (763) 416-0606. We also proudly serve the residents of Brooklyn Park, Rogers, Elk River, Osseo, Otsego, Plymouth, Wayzata, and all surrounding communities.