Injuries Can Lead to TMJ Problems
If you’ve lost or chipped a tooth, sustained and injury to your jaw, or even injured another part of your body, it can affect the integrity of your mouth and jaw. TMJ is particularly common in people with chipped or missing teeth. A side effect of missing teeth a change in the shape of your face. Your teeth and jaw act as supporting structures for your face. When you’re missing teeth, you can also begin to lose bone mass in your jaw. As you age, the lack of support from your missing tooth and jaw causes your face to wrinkle, form deep grooves along the side of your nose and mouth and change shape, often causing you to look older than you really are.
On top of it all, when you’ve injured your jaw, it could result in what’s known as a “bad bite”, meaning your upper and lower jaws are not aligned properly anymore. This misalignment can lead to facial pain, jaw clenching and teeth grinding, which can cause significant discomfort and damage.
How Do You Know If You Have TMJ Problems?
People with TMJ issues usually experience one or more of these symptoms:
- Chronic, recurring headaches
- A clicking or popping sound in your jaw joints
- Earaches, congestion or ringing ears
- Difficulty opening your mouth wide
- A jaw that locks
- Dizziness
- Pain while chewing
- Pain in your neck or throat
- Difficulty in closing your teeth together
- Tight, tired jaws
- Pain behind your eyes
- A tender scalp
- Difficulty swallowing
- A painful tongue, gums or cheek muscles
- Teeth grinding or clenching
Healing is a matter of time … and TMJ treatment
Any type of traumatic event, even injuries to your hips, feet, knees, and back, can cause discomfort in the jaw and TMJ. If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms associated with TMJ, or if you have sustained an injury following an accident, Dr. Nancy Nehawandian of Top Down Dental in San Jose/Los Gatos can help relieve your symptoms and give you back your good health. Call our Los Gatos dental office at (408) 354-5600 today.
