Are your teeth and jaws often sore? You may have temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMD. Biannual dental appointments aren’t just a chance for you to get a professional dental cleaning. At Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, we also perform bite checks to determine whether a patient is at risk for the pain and dental trauma that can result from jaw problems.
Bruxism is the name for nighttime teeth grinding and jaw clenching. It may be done in response to obstructive sleep apnea, but it could also be due to psychological causes or discomfort from misaligned jaws. It can wear down enamel and cause teeth to crack or be pushed out of place. The pressure from bruxism can also cause soreness to develop in the temporomandibular joint, which connects the mandible to the skull, and may radiate as far as the top of the head and the neck and shoulders.
If a person is grinding their teeth at night (or while awake), our hygienists will be able to find evidence of it in the wear patterns on a patient’s enamel. We’ll also search for signs of jaw misalignment in a patient’s x-rays and ask them to demonstrate closing their teeth together. If a patient is suffering from bruxism, a custom-fitted oral appliance can be worn at night to keep their jaws apart. Bite checks are especially important in pediatric patients, who may need orthodontic therapy to correct bite problems.
Drs. Na Xu and Mark Thomas operate Healthy Smiles Family Dental at 2601 25th St SE #400, Salem, Oregon, 97302. Visit My Family Dentist Salem or call 503-385-1185.
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