Calgary TMJ Treatment & Jaw Pain

If you find yourself waking up with sore jaw muscles or a headache, you may be suffering from bruxism. Bruxism is the grinding and clenching of teeth. Sometimes patients are not even aware they are clenching and grinding while they sleep. Bruxism can cause wear patterns or chips and cracks in the teeth right through the enamel. This wear can cause increased sensitivity. Over time, bruxism can also destroy the bone and gum tissue, which can result in the teeth becoming mobile. It can also lead to serious problems involving the jaw joint, such as Calgary TMJ treatment.

Bruxism is often a subconscious condition for many patients. They may not even know they’re doing it until their partner tells them they make grinding sounds while they sleep. For other patients, it isn’t until they have a dental checkup that they find out they have been clenching. Your dentist can assess whether the teeth are worn, the enamel is chipped, or the jaw muscles are overworked.

Some other possible symptoms of bruxism include facial, head, and neck pain, or headaches—all resulting from the strained muscles from clenching and grinding the teeth. The dentists at Pathways Dental Clinic will make a clear diagnosis to decide if bruxism is the cause of facial pain and headaches. If you feel as though you have Bruxism, feel free to give Pathways Dental Clinic a call, and our NE Calgary dentists will provide you with any information you need to know about Calgary TMJ treatment. Pathways Dental Clinic is committed to ensuring that you feel confident in your treatment options.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the name of the joint that connects your mandible (jawbone) to your temporal bone (skull). The TMJ can move side to side, rotate, and move forward, and backward, and is one of the most complex joints in the body. The TMJ, working with other muscles and ligaments, lets you speak, chew, swallow, and yawn. When you have a problem with the muscles, bone, or other tissue in the area in and around the Calgary TMJ treatment, you may have a TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction).

TMJ disorder can result in many uncomfortable conditions and side effects like:

• Calgary TMJ jaw pain
• Headaches
• Muscle Pain Through the Neck and Shoulders
• Broken Teeth and Fillings
• The Inability to Open and Close Your Mouth (lockjaw)
• Popping and Clicking Noises of the TMJ

75-80% of cases of TMJ syndrome are directly related to sleep apnea. Calgary Sleep apnea occurs when there are interruptions in breathing during sleep. The jaws and teeth can clench and grind against one another as people struggle to breathe during sleep. Because of this Bruxism, teeth start to wear, restorations may break, and eventually, Calgary tmj jaw pain and headaches may stem from the TMJ.

Other factors that cause TMJ disorders can be misaligned teeth or injuries such as a motor vehicle accident. If the bite is uneven from an injury or misaligned teeth, there can be uneven and excessive strain placed on the jaw joint.

Dr. Kim and Dr. Bouma may recommend that you wear a custom night guard (splint) to alleviate your NE Calgary Bruxism and TMJ pain and symptoms. Splints help realign the jaw and prevent the jaw from fully engaging when it should be resting. This lack of engagement significantly reduces the amount of force placed on the jaw and the sequential strain on the muscles activated during clenching and grinding. This custom-fit hard or soft plastic dental device is inserted over a patient’s upper and lower teeth. It has been shown to help realign the jaw and alleviate the pain associated with TMD, along with protecting your teeth. In some cases, Botulinum Injections can also be very effective. These NE Calgary Cosmetic & Therapeutic injections relieve muscle tension in and around the joint, by relaxing the otherwise clenched muscles, so that your symptoms are less severe.