Teeth grinding and clenching is a harmful and common dental habit known as bruxism. Unresolved bruxism can result in dental damage, worn teeth, migraines, jaw joint pain, and several other symptoms.
Bruxism is often connected to temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), but that is not always true. A patient can have bruxism without TMJ and vice versa.
TMJ and bruxism can be painful and disrupt your daily life, but our team at Kennedy Dental in Bellevue, NE offers effective and noninvasive teeth grinding treatment.
What Causes TMJ and Bruxism?
Grinding and clenching the teeth can result from stress, concentration, misaligned bites, sleep apnea, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMD).
Other risk factors include:
- Injury or trauma
- Jaw joint dislocation
- Arthritis
- Irregular tooth or jaw alignment
Commons TMJ and Bruxism Symptoms
- Clicking or popping of the jaw
- Sensitive teeth
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Lockjaw
- Difficulty when opening and closing the mouth
- Jaw and facial pain or soreness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Chipped, cracked, or worn teeth
- Stiff or sore shoulders and neck
At Kennedy Dental, we want to help relieve your TMJ and bruxism problems so you can chew, speak, smile, and laugh with comfort and ease.
TMJ and Teeth Grinding Treatment
Before recommending treatment to relieve your TMJ or bruxism symptoms, one of our Bellevue dentists performs a thorough screening to check for these conditions and evaluates your oral health. In addition to visually examining the mouth, face, and neck, we may take digital x-rays. We also check your jaw joints for tenderness, popping, clicking, and other telltale signs.
Our conservative treatments include custom nightguards, habit counseling, dietary recommendations, relaxation techniques, or medications that relieve muscle tension, anxiety, or inflammation.
Custom nightguards prevent dental damage from clenching and grinding, and they also reposition the teeth and jaws. Habit counseling may include helping patients avoid certain activities, like chewing gum and nail-biting. We also review relaxation methods and jaw stretching exercises.
Depending on your needs, preferences, and lifestyle, we can develop a treatment plan that works for you.
Contact Your TMJ Dentist in Bellevue, NE Today!
Do you often wake up with a sore jaw or splitting headache? Do you experience persistent tooth pain or dental sensitivity? If so, we recommend calling our dentist office at (402) 291-3535 to schedule oral health examination with one of our dentists.
We provide gentle, compassionate dental care in Bellevue, NE so you can enjoy a life without TMJ and bruxism pain.