Temporomandibular
Dysfunction (TMJ), Headaches and Occlusion
What
is occlusion?:Your
dental occlusion is the way your teeth meet together when
they bite.
What
is TMJ?:The letters T.M.J. Are an abbreviation of temporomandibular
joint, which is the joint
between your jaw and your skull. Movement in this joint enables
you to open and close your mouth and chew
from side to side.
What
are occlusal problems?: If your teeth don’t fit
together properly, then you can get problems in
any of the structures that are involved in your bite, the
teeth themselves, the gums, the temporomandibular
joint or the muscles that move the jaw.
Teeth:
Teeth that are misplaced, heavily worn or constantly
breaking, fillings that fracture or crowns that
work loose may all be signs of occlusal problems. The teeth
may be tender whilst chewing or may ache.
Gums:
Loosening of teeth or gum recession can be aggravated by a
faulty bite.
TMJ:
Clicking, grinding or pain in your jaw joints, ringing or
buzzing in your ears, difficulty in opening or
closing your mouth could all be due to your teeth not meeting
each other properly.
Muscles:
If your jaw is in the wrong position, the muscles that move
your jaw will have to work a lot harder
and can get tired and go into spasm. The main symptoms are
chronic headaches or migraine, especially
first thing in the morning, pain behind your eyes, sinus and
in you neck and shoulders. Sometime even back
muscles are involved.
How
can I tell if I have occlusal problems?:
1.
Are you aware of clenching or grinding your teeth? (Most people
who do are not aware that they do). This
may be related to anxiety, but generally most people clench
when they are concentrating while they are doing
something with their hands, i.e. household, gardening, car
mechanics, typing etc.
2.
Do you wake up in the morning with an awareness about your
teeth or jaw as if you had been clenching or
grinding them in sleep? Most people who grind their teeth
do so when asleep and may be unaware of it.
3.
Do you have chronic headaches or chronic head, neck, shoulder
pain?
4.
Do you have recurring pain or discomfort on the side of your
face around your ears or jawjoints?
5.
Have you ever had clicking or popping in your jaw joints or
difficulty in moving your jaw?
6.
Have
you lost some teeth at the back your mouth? This may lead
to your bite becoming unbalanced.
7.
Have you ever had an earache without any ear infection?
8.
Do you have sensitive teeth without any signs of dental problems?
How
do I get any occlusal problems treated?:
Firstly call
or email us at Stardent! Depending on
the problems you are having, it is possible to detect evidence
of an occlusal problems. Various muscles may
be sore when tested, or the broken and worn arrears of your
teeth will show you are grinding your teeth, a
common sign of an incorrect bite. If we suspect that your
problems are due to an incorrect bite, we may be
able to diagnose the problem by supplying a
hard plastic appliance that fits over upper or lower
teeth.
The appliance needs
to be measured and fitted very accurately so that when you
bite on it, all your teeth meet at exactly the same time in
a position where your muscles are relaxed. You may have to
wear this all the time, or just at night. In simple cases
you may not need to wear an appliance. For more severe cases
we may also use Acupuncture
to help relieve your symptoms.
If the appliance
relieves your symptoms then your bite will need to be corrected
permanently.
This can be done
by:
Tooth
adjustment (Equilibration)
Your teeth
may need to be carefully adjusted to meet evenly.
Changing the direction and position of the slopes that guide
your teeth together can often help reposition the
jaw. Replacement of defective restoration that prevent the
jaws from moving properly.
Orthodontics
If your teeth are too far out of line, or in a totally incorrect
bite it may be necessary to fit a
brace to move them into a better position.
Replacement
of missing teeth The
joint needs equal support from both sides of the jaws. The
chewing action is designed to work properly only when all
the teeth are present and in correct position.
Missing teeth may need to be replaced either with a partial
denture, bridge work or implants. Replacements
are not usually carried out until diagnosis is confirmed by
use of an appliance and the symptoms fully relieved.
Relief in some patients is instant, in others it can take
a long time.
Medication
Some drugs can help in certain cases but usually on a temporary
basis.
Diet and exercise As with any joint pain, reduced stress,
i.e. a soft diet, corrective exercises, posture
training and external heat can be usefull in certain cases.
Why
me? Up to 1 in 4 people may have some symptoms and
both men and women are affected equally,
although women tend to seek treatment more often than men.
Many people have imperfect occlusion and
missing teeth and never have symptoms because they adjust
to their problems. Occasionally, in times of
increased stress and Tension, the symptoms may occure and
then go away again immediately.Alternatively,
another link in the chain breaks down and instead of headaches
occurring you may suffer from:
- Flattened worn
teeth
- Broken teeth,filling and crowns
- loose teeth
- continual sensitivity of your teeth to temperature changes
- Toothache with no apparent cause
Don’t forget,
you can call or e-mail us at stardent for more information,
or to book your free consultation.
|
