TMJ And Bruxism Problems
Corpus Christi, TX
 If you are a worrier, we totally get it. A lot of people are. You may worry so much that it is a joke among your friends and family. While you might think your level of anxiety is funny, there’s nothing really funny about anxiety. The level of anxiety can take a serious toll on your body. Believe it or not, one of the places your level of anxiety shows up is in your mouth.
A lot of mouth and jaw problems are caused by anxiety. There are millions of Americans who have bruxism, which means that they either grind their teeth at night, or they clench their teeth. If you have bruxism, you know that bruxism may lead to other issues besides tooth pain. You can develop issues with your jaw joint, which is also called your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Clenching and grinding your teeth at night leads to some serious issues with your jaw. If you have questions about bruxism, give Star Orthodontics a call.
How Is Bruxism Related to TMJ?
People with bruxism clench or grind their teeth at night. They may not know they have a problem, since they are asleep when they are clenching or grinding their teeth. Researchers state that over 40 million people either clench or grind their teeth each night. If you grind your teeth, it means that you are moving your teeth back and forth against one another while you are sleeping.
You could also be clenching your teeth, which means that you are putting additional pressure along your jaw muscles and onto your teeth each night. In fact, 10% of people with bruxism issues have serious bruxism problems that will cause damage to their teeth or jaws, often causing them to need assistance in orthodontics as well.
Bruxism can lead to lingering issues with your teeth and jaw joint. Your jaw could become misaligned - which may lead to jaw pain. This is something an orthodontist could help out with. The pain in your jaw can range from a mild ache to severe pain. You could also have a jaw that feels tight. If you have a jaw joint disorder, or TMD, it can be treated with medication, like anti-inflammatories. Physical therapy has worked for some people with TMD as well. People who suffer from TMD will be the first ones to tell you that the best way to avoid temporomandibular joint disorder is to get your bruxism treated before it becomes a problem.
What Can I Do If I Have Bruxism?
Are you worried that you have bruxism? We can help with the treatment of bruxism before it becomes a serious issue. That will minimize damage to your teeth and jaw. One of the treatments we can do for bruxism is to treat it using a mouthguard, or what is also referred to as a nightguard. Nightguards work while you are sleeping by distributing energy from your mouth when you grind or clench your teeth. If your mouth is already showing signs of damage, you may need a harder mouth guard. We have splints that are made of hard plastic. These splints keep your jaw in place so that it is impossible to clench or grind your teeth.
Worried that you may have bruxism? If so, we can help! Give Star Orthodontics a call at 361-371-8555.
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