TMJ Treatment Near You
The jaw is an important part of our mouth that enables us to chew and speak properly. The temporomandibular joint is the joint connecting the skull to our lower jaw. If there is any pain or discomfort felt along that area, chances are you could have temporomandibular joint syndrome and require a visit to your local dentist in Davie, FL 33330.
What Is TMJ?
TMJ is pain or discomfort felt along the jaw joint area. Along with that, you can also experience pain in areas near the jaw joint like the neck, ears, your face and it can even radiate to most of your head. Muscles and nerve endings are attached to the jaw joint causing the pain to spread out to the affected areas. There are times that even opening your mouth could be painful. There might be a pain in doing simple tasks such as biting and chewing. Your jaws might also click upon movement, or worst might get locked.
Do You Have TMJ Syndrome?
There are a lot of factors that can be attributed to TMJ in Davie, FL 33330. It might be caused by an injury to the jaw, a sickness, and can also be brought on by excessive clenching of the jaw and grinding of the teeth. Anything that causes unnecessary and excessive stress and pressure to the joint puts your jaw at risk of developing TMJ near you.
If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw, and if the pain worsens when you do it, chances are you have TMJ. Other symptoms of TMJ near you include the following:
- Waking up having a sore jaw including the muscles surrounding it
- A sensation of sensitive or loose teeth or a feeling that it might get broken anytime soon
- Having difficulties while using your front teeth when biting down on food
Treating TMJ
If you are experiencing the symptoms mentioned above it is recommended you set up an appointment with your local dentist in Davie, FL 33330. It can be very inconvenient and painful to leave these symptoms untreated and may cause other diseases or conditions in the mouth and jaw. Depending on the diagnosis, the dentist might prescribe you medication to help your jaw muscles cope. It could be muscle relaxants to keep your jaw from clenching or steroids to repair damaged tissues along the jaw due to constant stress. Along with that, the dentist might also create a custom night guard to alleviate the symptoms caused by TMJ and protect your teeth and jaw from further damage.
If you cannot make it to the dentist immediately, there are several means to treat TMJ in Davie, FL 33330 while waiting for your appointment. The first thing is changing your diet to more soft or liquid foods and avoiding hard to chew food. You can also apply a hot and cold compress to the affected area to alleviate the discomfort. Rest your jaws every once in a while, by not talking or chewing for a period of time. During this rest period, ensure that your upper and lower set of teeth are apart to avoid clenching and grinding.