A locked jaw can be a tough condition to live with and hinder a lot of aspects of one’s life, and grinding your teeth may be leading you straight to the path of a TMJ disorder, or is it? Bruxism and TMJ both are difficult conditions that involve the jaw bone, and it’s essential to understand the connection between the two to treat them effectively.
Bruxism and TMJ Disorders Have Similar Symptoms
Both the conditions have symptoms that are similar, mainly as they occur in the same area of the face, the symptoms could be pain in the jawbone and surrounding areas, feelings of swelling and headaches, even earaches as these conditions put pressure on the ear canal.
The causes of these issues are also similar, they are usually credited to mental disorders such as stress and anxiety, or dental ones like misaligned teeth also known as malocclusions, these make you more susceptible to having a TMJ disorder or bruxism.
How are Bruxism and TMJ Disorders Related
TMJ is prevalent in about 12% of the population in the entire world, and bruxism is famously known to go hand-in-hand with TMJ about 87.5% of patients with myofascial pain and disc displacement report to have suffered from bruxism, it can be considered an early occurring symptom of TMJ even though they can and do exist independently of each other.
However, if you have bruxism, it may lead to disc displacement in the jaw. Both these conditions are extremely uncomfortable for the sufferer and can take a lot of time to heal.
It’s better to implement the aforementioned preventative techniques if you catch yourself grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw from stress than develop these unfortunate disorders and go through the lengthy and extensive treatment process. If you have bruxism or TMJ, don’t fret as it can be treated with the proper care and guidance.
While bruxism is unknowingly or involuntarily grinding teeth or clenching teeth together, this creates an excessive pressure on the temporomandibular joint, which in turn could become into a disorder known as a Temporomandibular disorder or better known as TMD. However, a TMJ disorder can occur independently of bruxism as well.
How are Bruxism and TMJ Disorders Treated
Multiple approaches need to be implemented together in order to treat these issues effectively, this could be a custom-fitted mouthguard that can protect teeth, these are specially used while sleeping.
This is to protect the teeth from the pressure of grinding and therefore, eliminating bruxism and making the risk of developing TMJ less likely.
Part of this process is also to implement strategies for stress management such as exercises for relaxation and cognitive therapies to help with bruxism and TMJ disorders.
In other cases, the issue may not be a mental one but due to malformed teeth so dental interventions can help correct the teeth, it’s always better to be on the safe side by regular check-ups.
To Summarize
If you are suffering from bruxism or TMJ disorders, its best you get relief as soon as possible. Our expert Dr. Jeevan Ghatnekar DDS an ADA, CDA and a member of the Academy of General Dentistry would be happy to help at Irvine Family & Implant Dentistry in Irvine, CA, for all your dental needs. Book a consultation today by calling us at (949) 552-1380