Everyone in Houston, TX wants a smile that’s jaw-dropping. But if your jaw locks into place from a TMJ dysfunction, that’s not exactly what you were hoping for.

Not only is that incredibly painful, but it can be scary! Being unable to close your own mouth can leave you feeling vulnerable, exposed, and embarrassed. And there’s no surefire way to loosen it up quickly.

If you have this kind of dental emergency, Houston Uptown Dentists is the office to call for help. But we’d rather help you prevent it altogether.

Your temporomandibular joint, better known as TMJ, is what connects your jawbone to your skull. Although a locked jaw is a less common symptom of a disorder, there are several indicators that may sound familiar.

Do you have any of the following?

▹ Painful clicking in your jaw

▹ Headaches

▹ Jaw, neck, and even shoulder pain

▹ Swelling around your jaw

If so, you may have TMD (TMJ disorder).

This joint gets used a lot and its functionality depends on several factors. You can develop TMD for a number of reasons:

▹ Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism

▹ A bite that is not correctly aligned

▹ Teeth that are crooked or misaligned

Sleep apnea

▹ Plain old stress!

Houston Uptown Dentists is equipped and prepared to treat your TMD. We have a variety of treatments based on your individual needs.

Trust An Expert For Your TMJ Disorder Diagnosis And Treatment

How can you know you have TMD? Without a trip to our office, you can’t. The symptoms of TMD can be mistaken for a lot of things:

▹ An abscessed tooth

▹ Sinus pressure from allergies or illness

▹ Neck or spinal injury

▹ Nerve damage

▹ Fever blisters or shingles

Come see us and we’ll do an examination, possibly take X-rays, and rule out other potential diagnoses. We won’t start treatment until we know it’s TMD.

Your treatment will depend on your bite.

▹ One option is a custom oral appliance built for your mouth. You may be tempted to just buy a mouthguard at your local drugstore. We don’t recommend this, as you won’t get nearly the attention to detail you need. It could make your TMD worse!

▹ We may recommend dental crowns to correct your bite.This will adjust the way your teeth fit together, balancing the pressure placed on your TMJ. As an added bonus, crowns will cover some damage from grinding!

Don’t Leave Your TMJ Disorder Untreated

So, what if you just leave things the way they are?

You can do that – unlike a lot of dental problems, such as gum disease, TMD isn’t life-threatening. But that means you have to live with the pain, and it may worsen.

Bruxism can trap you in a cycle of sleeplessness and discomfort.

▹ Stress is the #1 trigger for teeth grinding.

▹ The pain and discomfort from bruxism can keep you awake at night.

▹ The lack of quality sleep will affect your ability to function, which triggers your body to release stress hormones.

▹ This can continue with no end in sight.

A combination of constant pain and sleeplessness may also lead to depression. You can also do extensive damage to your jaw and teeth. This could have a cosmetic effect and make your pain worse.

Treat Your TMJ Pain And End Your Migraines For Good

Headaches and TMD don’t always have a causal relationship. But they do go together like peas and carrots. Often treating one can help the other.

Dr. Juarez has extensive training in how to treat TMD, teeth grinding, and other causes of migraines and headaches. Some of these causes include:

▹ Stress

▹ Bruxism

▹ Lack of sleep

Sound familiar? Three of the most common causes of headaches are part of the cycle we discussed above. Even if your headaches aren’t coming from a TMJ disorder, we have the ability to treat them and alleviate your pain.

Certain demographics are more prone to headaches and migraines than others. Do  you

▹ Smoke or use smokeless tobacco?

▹ Exercise too often?

▹ Never exercise?

▹ Regularly drink alcohol to excess?

If so, you have even more reason to give us a call when your head continues to hurt.

Give Yourself Lasting Pain Relief

There’s no reason to live with TMJ or headache pain. Pain is an essential function of your body that tells you when something has gone wrong. Ignoring pain is never a good idea!

Once you’ve acknowledged your pain and its seriousness, go to an expert who will provide relief with long term results.

Come see us at Houston Uptown Dentists. Call us at 832-463-1021 or use our handy contact form.