If you’ve suffered from jaw pain, headaches, and teeth grinding, you may have TMJ disorder. TMJ disorder is a painful condition usually connected to bruxism that affects the jaw joint and causes headaches and facial pain. Our TMJ specialist in Chicago, IL, explains more about TMJ disorder, the symptoms, and how to treat it below.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint that connects your upper and lower jaws. When this joint becomes dysfunctional, either by the breakdown of the cartilage, muscle spasms, or grinding of the teeth, it results in inflammation and pain. But this pain can extend past the joint itself — it can spread to the head and face by affecting the surrounding nerves and muscles, which can result in migraine headaches.
In addition to headaches and facial pain, other symptoms of TMJ disorder include:
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact our dentist for an evaluation. It is important to address TMJ disorder and teeth grinding before it does permanent damage.
To relieve the related headaches and facial pain, you have to treat the underlying disorder. This includes methods such as:
If left untreated, teeth grinding and clenching can cause damage to the cartilage as well as the teeth, as the habit grinds them down, causing weakening, cracks and chips.
If you believe you may be suffering from headaches caused by TMJ disorder, contact our dentist for an evaluation! We can help you get pain relief and protect your dental health.
The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to dentistry, feel free to contact Dente Complete Dentistry, with a convenient dental office in Chicago, IL, by calling 773.295.0562 or by clicking here.