Do you wake up throughout the night from intense jaw pain? Are your teeth wearing or chipping? Does your jaw click or pop or not open wide? If you often wake up with painful migraines or experience any of these destructive side effects of TMJ/TMD, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Dental Health and Wellness Boston. For TMJ treatment, Dr. Jill Smith and Dr. Alan Budd offer the NTI Tension Suppression System, a non-surgical, non-drug custom-fitted device approved by the Food and Drug Administration that attaches to the patient’s upper or lower teeth, suppressing the muscle contraction intensity and is only worn when sleeping.
Like many Americans, you or your spouse may be suffering from this significant medical condition that can keep you from getting a full 8 of sleep and cause damage to your teeth and jaw. Temporomandibular Jaw Disorders (TMJ/TMD) are most commonly seen in adults between the ages of 20 and 40 (WebMD), but it can occur at any age from young children to the elderly. Medications such as antidepressants can also disturb your deep sleep or REM phase of your sleep patterns and trigger subconscious teeth grinding that can lead to TMJ/TMD. There have also been some studies that correlate other night time conditions such as acid reflux and sleep apnea with nocturnal bruxism and TMJ/TMD.
TMJ/TMD are inflammations in the jaw commonly caused by regular teeth grinding (also known as bruxism or nocturnal bruxism) that result in the swelling of the jaw joint. As this occurs, muscles become displaced and can adversely affect the teeth, gums and bone structures of the mouth if left untreated. People with TMJ/TMD sometimes experience a clicking or popping sound when opening and closing their mouths. Due to the nerve pressure cause by muscle displacement, TMJ/TMD is often accompanied by frequent headaches, necks aches, and in some cases, tooth sensitivity. Serious conditions resulting from TMJ/TMD include improperly aligned joints, dislocated jaws or even an arthritic condition of the jaw joint.
Don’t let medical conditions like TMJ and bruxism keep you from getting a good night’s sleep and living your life. With our dental solutions, we can get you on the right track to healthy sleep patterns. Dr. Jill Smith and Dr. Alan Budd at Dental Health and Wellness Boston are committed to your dental health as well as your overall wellness, and will find a solution that will relieve your jaw pain and headaches, and help you to keep your teeth for a lifetime.
