Glendale AZ Dentist - Dr. Lee Ann Brady

Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

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Call us at (623) 939-4777
18301 N 79th Ave, Suite F164, Glendale, AZ 85308
The Office of Dr. Lee Ann Brady

Signs & Symptoms of TMD

Temporal HeadacheTMD, short for Temporomandibular Disorder, comes in many forms and covers numerous problems that occur with the teeth, muscles and joints. Due to the varied nature of the things that can cause TMD, the signs and symptoms can be very different from person to person. The issues can be painful and affect your ability to eat and speak, or can be happening silently. The causes range from a traumatic accident that injures the head and neck to grinding or clenching your teeth, and can include medication, stress or even ergonomics as the triggers. If you are concerned that you may have TMD, also commonly referred to as TMJ, ask your dentist to complete a joint and muscle exam, as well as complete an analysis of your bite. Often a simple solution like wearing a nightguard can manage your symptoms and prevent your TMD from becoming a serious, chronic concern.

Symptoms of TMD:

  1. Temporal Headache (on the side of your head over your ear or across your forehead)
  2. Stiffness when opening and closing your mouth
  3. Muscle fatigue in your face when chewing
  4. Pain when yawning, chewing, smiling or talking
  5. Pain in and around your ear over the jaw joint
  6. Inability to open wide enough to eat a hamburger
  7. Mouth locking in an open or closed position
  8. Noise in your jaw joint when you open or close

Signs of TMD that your dentist or hygienist can observe before you have symptoms:

  1. Inflammation in your facial muscles
  2. Inflammation in your jaw joints
  3. Damage to the cartilage in your jaw joints
  4. Loss of tooth enamel due to grinding
  5. Cracks & Fractures in your teeth as a result of tooth clenching
  6. Limited ability to move your lower jaw

Do You Need A Dental Night Guard?

night-guards472216ab436bbMany people wear or have been advised to wear a dental night guard. The phrase “night guard” can be confusing, and is often used interchangeably with “appliance”, “splint”, “orthotic”, “NTI” or other terms. In general when we think of a dental night guard we are describing a dental device worn over the teeth during sleep. Despite having many different names, one of these devices may have been recommended to you. In practice there are about six different categories of dental night guards based on how the device impacts your teeth, joints and muscles.

The most common reason that a dentist might recommend a night guard is to protect your teeth from tooth wear. The first step is to recognize that your teeth are wearing down or dissolving. If the loss of tooth is being caused by the top and bottom teeth rubbing or clenching together, then a night guard can dramatically reduce the damage to the teeth.

Night guards may also be recommended to treat TMJ disorders and facial pain by protecting your jaw joints and helping the muscles in your face relax. Many patients who suffer from tension headaches report pain relief with one of the six designs of night guard. If you think you may need a night guard we are happy to work with you and identify whether or not it will benefit you and which type is most appropriate.