Patient Education

TMD- What is it?

A typical temporomandibular disorder (TMD) may involve the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or any of its surrounding soft tissues. Orofacial pain refers to any condition that manifests with pain in the head.

Common symptoms include:
Jaw pain, Jaw noise.Jaw locking
Limited jaw opening
Atypical tooth pain
Ear pain
Tinnitus
Headache
Neck pain
An ache in or around the ear(s)
Tenderness or discomfort of the jaw(s)
Discomfort in the joint(s)
Facial pain that aches
Difficulty opening or closing the mouth
Jaw(s) locks in place
Problems or pain while chewing

What can be done?
Clinicians trained in the treatment of TMD, orofacial pain, oral medicine, and dental sleep medicine are available for evaluation and treatment.

What Causes Orofacial Pain?
Orofacial pain is any discomfort that you feel in your head or neck. The discomfort may come from the muscles, arthritis, or neuropathic orofacial pain disorders.
Face pain, toothaches, or temporomandibular joint discomfort, TMJ, are types of orofacial pain.
Dentists with TMD Orofacial pain expertise and training will prove to be valuable in Understanding key concepts to help diagnose and treat these issues.
Patients with TMD most of the time experience symptoms of Obstructive sleep apnea along with issues like Orofacial pain.

What is TMJ?
TMJ is the most common type of orofacial discomfort that our dentists see every year.
You have two temporomandibular joints on each side of the head that attaches the jawbones to your skull. These joints act like sliding hinges when you open and close your mouth. When there is pain in one or both joints, it can come from the joint or the muscles surrounding them.

Some of the symptoms of TMJ include:
Clicking while opening, closing, or sometimes both
Pain while chewing Altered bite
The feeling of fullness in the ear
Pain behind the eye Pain behind the cheek Pain during chewing or sometimes after chewing.

Treatment Options depend based on the complexity of the symptoms.
 Patients with TMD, orofacial pain, and sleep disorders can be helped with the help of the right appliance therapy.
It can range from a simple Guard, balancing the relationship of the upper and lower teeth to help align the TMJ in a functionally stable position.
Patients with Sleep issues can also benefit from TMD appliance if done with some modulation.
Long term pain patients find it hard to be completely free of clicks but will definitely feel better once stabilized.
In instances of patients experiencing Lockjaw or difficulty opening time is the essence in deciding the long term successful outcome. Sometimes pain can be managed and modulated with muscle relaxants, neurotransmitter blockers, trigger point therapy, Prolotherapy.

If you have any questions call Expressions family dental in Waxhaw, NC at 704-256-3548 for a TMJ consult.

Do you know that having Gum disease can be a predisposing factor for developing Heart problems??
Since both Cardiovascular disease and Periodontal disease is Commonly known as Gum disease share the same risk factors like Smoking, Obesity, dietary factors, diabetes it’s  fair to say that both do share a relationship on the overall health and wellbeing of the patient.

A healthy diet, exercise along with regular brushing, and visits to the dentist to evaluate and identify early signs of periodontal disease has been key.
Oral diseases do not often lead to death. They can create morbidity and add to an individual’s disease burden.
In addition to having Fresh breath, a beautiful smile, good dental hygiene can translate to a healthy body.

How does Gum disease affect Heart??

Gum disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth that can result in inflammation of gums surrounding your teeth which can be painful over time. Bacteria in your bloodstream are responsible for causing inflammation and narrowing of arteries and blood vessels in your heart. Your daily habit of brushing and flossing twice a day along with your regular 6 months visits to your dentist can lead to a healthy lifestyle.

Your regular dental visits can help keep an eye on any other conditions you may be experiencing like :
Acid reflux- which causes erosion and loss of enamel and gum predisposing your teeth to decay and bone loss.
Diabetes- this can cause inflammation, bone loss and delayed healing eventually resulting in loss of teeth structure if there is not a timely intervention.
Cancer- can affect cells in your saliva, gums, and salivary glands.
Pregnancy -Hormones during pregnancy result in inflammation of gums with bleeding and decay.

Tips to your Healthy smile and Healthy Heart

Drink plenty of water.
Brush twice a day at least. If possible, brushing after every meal goes a long way in having a fresh breath free of bad odor and cavities. It’s a great idea to brush your tongue since the bacteria in the tongue are responsible for bad odor.
Flossing- This activity removes bacteria and food deposits between your teeth and keeps your breath fresh and free of gum disease and cavities.
Limit alcoholic drinks.
Dry mouth- Talk to your dentist about options to boost your saliva production. Saliva moves around the bacteria in the mouth and prevents stagnation which can help break down enamel causing cavities.

Keep up with your twice a year check-up with dentist to ensure you receive the cancer screening and screening for gum disease and cavities. This helps to prevent costly interventions in the future.

If you have any questions call Expressions family dental at 704-256-3548.

Here is the first-hand perspective from somebody who worked as a Critical care nurse in Cardiology.