When you wake up in the morning, do you find yourself with a sore jaw? If so, that could be a sign of a common sleep disorder called bruxism, and if so, it can really hold your oral health back. Teeth grinding is an incredibly common habit, and when it happens during waking hours, people can reroute that energy to chewing healthy snacks. But when you grind your teeth during sleep, it can lead to some serious issues, including enamel erosion and temporomandibular joint disorder, commonly called TMJ.
If you’ve been struggling with your jaw, take a minute to meet with Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, WY to talk about your next moves. TMJ and bruxism are both common oral health conditions, yet sometimes, people hold them in when they are talking with their dental provider due to fear of hesitation. Your smile depends on balance to stay safe, so make sure you’re doing all you can for it. Speak to a trusted, neighborhood dentist about ways to improve your oral health.
Make the oral health effort. Tell Grinnell Street Dental about what you’re experiencing.
Talk To Your Dentist When You’re In The Chair
Your dentist is there to help you maintain your oral health, and also to improve it where you can. Unfortunately, when you keep things to yourself, it’s hard for us to be the best provider that we can be. During your routine biannual checkups, we take the time to look at the condition of your smile, but you offer real insight into your experience.
We value that. Our office understands that sometimes, it’s important to talk with your patients to get the whole picture. So, if you’ve started to notice a clicking sound when you chew, then it’s time to talk to an oral health professional about it. This could be a sign of TMJ.
Fight Back Against TMJ With A Custom Oral Appliance
Your smile depends on balance to stay safe, and your jaws need to share the strain, as well. Sometimes, however, things can get off track, and that can cause inflammation or even damage to the connection between the jaw and the head. When that happens, it can create temporomandibular joint disorder, which can be a true pain.
TMJ can make life a little tougher for patients if they ignore it. This condition can be seen in headaches or jaw discomfort, or even a malfunctioning jaw. If you’ve started to experience these symptoms, or if you know that you grind your teeth at night, speak to our office about a custom oral appliance. This approach protects teeth by placing a soft, yet durable barrier between the jaws.
Learn More About Oral Appliance Therapy With Grinnell Street Dental
Waking up with a sore jaw? If you’ve started to see symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder, such as pain or a clicking sound when you chew, call Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, WY today at (307) 672-7567.