Oral Health Dangers When TMD Remains Untreated
At Muse Dental Studio, your oral health and comfort are extremely important to us. We treat our patients like our family, and we recommend treatments that we know will improve their quality of life. It saddens us when patients don’t contact us for assistance with problems that we can easily treat. One of these conditions is TMD, or temporomandibular joint disorder. There are a number of patients who remain undiagnosed because they don’t realize that we treat this condition. TMD is an issue that arises from problems with the jaw joints and face muscles. It is also commonly referred to as TMJ. If you are suffering from any of the following symptoms you may be suffering from TMD:
- Jaw that can feel stuck and difficult to open and close
- Clicking or popping sound while opening mouth or eating
- Discomfort in the jaw area or aching facial pain
- Difficulty chewing and swallowing
- Headaches
Oral Health Side-Effects of TMD
Unfortunately, TMD can come with some pretty serious symptoms that can greatly affect the state of your oral health. One symptom of TMD is clenching and grinding your teeth. When this happens repeatedly, it can lead to the enamel, or outer covering of the teeth, becoming prematurely worn. Over time, this added pressure on the teeth can lead to not only sensitivity issues, but cracked and worn teeth. When TMD remains untreated, the damage to the teeth will lead to numerous costly dental treatments such as dental crowns on all of the rear molars.
Untreated TMD can also lead to misalignment issues with the jaw. This misalignment can cause headaches and posture issues and impact the way you chew your food. One option for misalignment issues is orthodontic treatment.
If you live in or around the Houston, TX area and are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above or are interested in learning more about TMD, please contact our office today. We want to help you get the relief you deserve.