
Feb
If you experience pain in your jaw, it may be due to an issue with your temporomandibular joints, a pair of hinge joints just in front of your ears. These jaw joints allow movement of the jaw but sometimes they may become stiff and painful.
Temporomandibular joint appliances may help to relieve these discomforts.
Symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders include pain in the jaw joints as well as limited movement of the jaw. Often, jaw movement is accompanied byclicking , grating, and popping noise. You may also experience headaches that radiate from the front of the ear as well as muscle spasms in the face.
To diagnose this disorder, Dr. Jonathan Golab and at Jonathan J. Golab, DDS, PA will determine how the jaw joint move and examine your face, jaw, and teeth for signs of tenderness or teeth grinding.
TMJ appliances can be effective in reducing the side effects of TMJ disorder since they align your teeth in the right position and reduce the pressure on the jaw joints. Typically, a stabilization splint, also known as a bite guard, is placed in the mouth to treat TMJ disorders.
The mouth splint is made of an acrylic resin that is designed to fit over the upper and lower teeth. This appliance prevents the upper and lower teeth from coming into contact with each other. These oral splints are typically worn 24 hours a day; however, we may recommend the use of night mouthguards that you should wear while sleeping.
In more uncommon cases, we may also prescribe the use of mandibular repositioning splint to correct the bite misalignment between the upper and lower teeth.
There are many benefits to wearing a TMJ appliance. These include reduced pressure on the jaw joints as these splints make it difficult for patients to clench their teeth. This can prevent damage to the teeth and may also alleviate jaw discomfort.
Usually, TMJ appliances are worn for a short period of time. If your splint is causing you pain, you should stop wearing it and contact us.
The mandibular repositioning appliance has a more permanent effect on the bite. However, we advise against wearing devices that may have a permanent effect on your jaw structure.
If you suffer from jaw pain, we at Jonathan J. Golab, DDS, PA can help you with various non-invasive therapies. Call us today at (469) 444-2119 to schedule an appointment with us.
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