TMJ And Bruxism Problems
Dentist Stratford, CT
If you are anxious, or you worry a lot, you may clench or grind your teeth at night without even thinking about it. While lots of people sometimes clench or grind their teeth, if you clench or grind your teeth often, you may have something called bruxism. If you have severe bruxism, it could also lead to problems with your jaw joint - which is also called your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. TMD, which is a disorder of the jaw joint, can be both serious and painful. Keep reading, and let Brush & Floss Dental Center give you more information about TMD and bruxism.
How Is Bruxism Related to TMD?
Bruxism is when people clench or grind their teeth at night while they are sleeping. When people grind their teeth, they move their jaws back and forth while they are sleeping. As many as 40 million Americans either clench or grind their teeth at night, according to researchers. Out of those 40 million Americans, about 4 million can clench or grind their teeth enough to cause problems with their teeth or their jaws.
One of the most serious problems with bruxism is the issues with jaw joints. If you have TMD, your jaw can become misaligned. You might begin to have pain in your jaw, especially when you open or close it. You might also have trouble opening or closing your jaws - in fact, it may feel as if your jaws are locked, which makes it hard for you to change the position of your mouth. We can work on treating TMD with both medication and forms of physical therapy. However, if we can prevent the problem with your jaw from happening, that is the best way to prevent TMD.
What Can I Do If I Have Bruxism?
If you have bruxism, the best thing that you can do is to get treatment for your bruxism. Once you get treatment for your bruxism, you minimize any damage to your jaw, teeth, and dental work. There are several things that you can do on your own or with our help to treat bruxism.
The first thing you can do is try and reduce your stress level. When you are less anxious and stressed, your jaw becomes more relaxed, which means you stop grinding your teeth at night. We can also fit you with a night guard, which works while you sleep to prevent you from clenching or grinding your teeth at night. You might also be able to use bite splints. Bite splints keep your jaw in one place while you sleep. Some people find that clenching and unclenching their jaw before they go to bed helps their bruxism. Anti-anxiety medication also helps some people with bruxism.
Learn about occlusal adjustment and how it can help your jaw.
If you are worried that you have bruxism, don’t hesitate. Give Brush & Floss Dental Center a call at (203) 683-5253. |
