TMJ and associated disorders.

Here at our handy Egham clinic, we provide the latest general and cosmetic dentistry, but we can also help with jaw, neck and head pain. Before we explain how that is, let's take a look at some of the basic facts relating to jaw, neck and head pain:

Your bottom jaw connects to your skull in front of your ear by a temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This joint is very complex and enables you to open your mouth, close it and move your jaw around in many ways.

These movements ensure you can talk, breathe, chew up your food and swallow it. The TMJ is connected to the biggest nerve in the head which is also connected to your teeth, your face and your sinuses. A TMJ disorder could cause numerous issues including:

●     Jaw pain and aching

●     Pain when moving the jaw

●     Headaches

●     Neck pain

●     Sinus pain

●     Earache

Lot of issues can cause the symptoms above, so a diagnosis of TMJ from a doctor is usually necessary.

Issues Related To TMJ

TMJ can cause a wide range of symptoms as well as prominent pain including:

●     Hearing issues including popping in the ears, ringing in the ears and hearing loss

●     Joint popping, cracking or clicking

●     Local swelling

●     Problems opening the jaw

●     A crossbite, underbite or overbite

●     Difficulty swallowing

●     Nausea

●     Dizziness

TMJ & Teeth

The life we lead will put a strain on the joint - eating and talking will naturally put a strain on the TMJ joint. However, there are many causes of TMJ that relate to our teeth including:

●     Bruxism which is where we grind or clench our teeth at night

With teeth grinding, your Egham dentist is able to help with an individually designed mouth-guard which should stop you grinding your teeth at night.

●     An incorrect bite which is where the teeth don't sit together as they should, and the bite is incorrect. This could be because of an injury or how our jaw and teeth have formed.

With a misaligned bite, the teeth do not meet as they should which causes additional stress on the jaw muscles and joint. As we use our jaw so much this continual strain on the TMJ can have a negative effect over time. Your Crown House Dental team may be able to help with misaligned teeth by providing solutions that can temporarily or permanently correct the teeth.

Crown House Dental Can Help With TMJ issues

Many different treatments can help with TMJ including; hypnotherapy, pain relief, surgery, physiotherapy and more. If you think you have TMJ problems, the first step is to get a diagnosis. Following a diagnosis you can then look across your entire selection of healthcare providers for different solutions to try. More often than not with TMJ, recovery can be complex and take time, trial and effort.

If a misaligned bite or bruxism is suspected as a cause, it is a good idea to get these issues corrected by your Egham dentist as they not only put strain on the TMJ joint, but they cause lots of other dental issues as well. If you would like to talk to us about dental solutions to TMJ disorder, please call us on 01784432641 and we will be very pleased to make you an appointment.