Jaw Pain and Teeth Grinding treatment in San Fernando, Trinidad
Your jaw impacts more than just chewing! Proper jaw function can improve your oral health, sleep quality, and comfort.
Do you have painful jaw muscles or wake up with headaches? Do your jaw joints make clicking or popping sounds when you yawn or chew? Did anyone ever mention to you that you grind your teeth at night? At VIP Dental Care, we treat jaw joint dysfunction to improve your comfort, sleep, and overall quality of life.
Most people use the term TMJ to refer to many different types of jaw issues. The truth, however, is TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint. If you have a disorder of the joint it may be referred to in broad terms as TMD (Temporomandibular disorders)
Symptoms of TMD
TMD symptoms may include:
Ear pain
Jaw pain when you chew
Clicking noise when you open or close your mouth
Facial pain and discomfort
Locking of the jaw joint when attempting to open the mouth
Often it is difficult to determine why people suffer from TMD. If you suffer from any of the symptoms associated with TMD the first course of action is over the counter and/or home remedies to alleviate the pain. Some things to try include:
Placing a warm or cold compress on the face/jaw area
Taking an anti-inflammatory
Eating soft foods
If however, your symptoms continue you should talk to your doctor or dentist.
How to Treat TMD/TMJ
Depending on your individual case you may experience any of the following treatments for your TMD/TMJ:
Oral appliance
Prescription pain/muscle relaxant medications
Physical therapy
Counseling
Orthodontics
Surgery
Dr. Veenay Maharaj can fit his patients with a pain-relieving oral appliance called an NTI (nociceptive trigeminal inhibitory).
Treatment with an NTI Oral Appliance
An NTI appliance is a small plastic night guard that fits between your bite in order to prevent clenching (bruxism). Because the device fits in a way that only a few front teeth connect, the TM joint is unable to contract while the patient is wearing the appliance. The prevention of the joint from contracting can provide relief from the pain and irritation in the joint.
If you suspect TMD and would like to talk to someone, please visit your Trinidad dentist, Dr. Maharaj at VIP Dental Care for an assessment. We can help you get a great night’s sleep! Call us at (868) 255-5522.