If you are having headache pain and/or jaw pain, you may be suffering from temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ/TMD). TMJ dysfunction is strain or damage to the joints connecting the jaw to the skull. This strain may cause reduced mobility, jaw pain, and other adverse health effects. Bruxism, the unconscious grinding, and clenching of teeth, can play a significant role in TMJ dysfunction. It is a problem that occurs in about a third of the adult population, and it usually occurs during sleep, so many people are not even aware of the problem even though they are experiencing the symptoms.
Even though headaches and jaw pain caused by TMJ dysfunction are not life-threatening, the pain can be unbearable. Constant grinding of your teeth also wears down the enamel over time and puts you at an increased risk of cracking one or multiple teeth. Not only do your teeth become more susceptible to tooth decay, your teeth may actually become loose from the consistent strain placed on them. At 21st Century Dentistry, we can alleviate the pain associated with TMJ dysfunction and the other issues that go along with it.
