Local Dental Care - Lower Jaw Surgery Libertyville, IL

Subliminal Stuff: Teeth Grinding and TMJ

Sensitivity to heat and cold. Loosened teeth, fractures, and a debilitating headache. All this can occur while you sleep - from grinding your teeth. Dentistry calls it bruxism.

Talk about shell shock. Dentists see evidence of life in the fast lane everyday. As many as 90 percent of us grind our teeth each night, on the average of five episodes per evening. The bite force is so powerful - over 200 pounds per square inch - and the noise so fearful, you cannot physically duplicate this phenomenon when you're wide awake. While you're sleeping, a lot of damage is being done that could be causing TMJ symptoms.

Bruxing seems to be associated with the REM stage of sleep, that never-never land where dreaming and rapid eye movement occur. There is some evidence that a bite out of alignment contributes to bruxing, but most agree stress is the problem. Or, even more alarming, the anticipation of stress.

Most people learn about a bruxing habit from the spouse who has to put up with it every night. More clues; waking up in the morning with jaw pain, jaw popping, jaw clicking, migraine or muscle fatigue and loose teeth.

Physical therapy, muscle relaxants and, sometimes, a custom dental appliance can help. But learning how to handle the stress in your life could salvage more than your teeth and help eliminate TMJ syndrome.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Facial Pain: Could It Be TMJ Disorder?

Facial pain and jaw pain can be the result of a range of health problems. If the patient has a sore jaw, a TMJ diagnosis is particularly likely. TMJ disorders are jaw problems caused by swelling deep within the jaw joint.

But before seeking treatment for temporomandibular disorder from a TMJ specialist, you need to know if TMJ dysfunction is the cause of your facial pain - and that involves ruling out other possibilities.

Face pain can be a result of dental problems such as an infection or an abscessed tooth, or it can result from jaw alignment problems. Dental treatment, sometimes including orthodontics, can relieve tooth pain.

Pain in the face can also be the result of sinusitis or sinus infection. When it comes to the head and face, where you feel the pain may not actually be the source. Jaw trouble can lead to headaches, or a tooth abscess may masquerade as jaw pain.

Oh, and getting hit in the face can definitely lead to facial pain!

If it's not any of these, it might well be TMJ disorder. The other diagnosis to consider is trigeminal neuralgia, an alarmingly painful nerve problem that leads to the sensation of sharp pain in the face, even with the smallest stimulus. Treatments are available, but the condition is commonly considered one of the most painful that exist.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.