Have you ever wondered why your mouth isn’t fully opening and closing and what could be the cause of it? In most cases, it is the result of damaged temporomandibular joints, referred to as TMJs, in your jaw.  If they are damaged, a TMJ disorder occurs. Here are some safety tips for TMJ damage treatment and protection:
– In order to better help you cope with the stress and anxiety that is often linked with TMJ disorders. Try practicing yoga or biofeedback.
– Your mouth cannot take continued damage due to TMJ disorders, so it is important to stop all bad habits that could make it worse, such as chewing gum, eating hard foods, or even biting your nails.
– In the case of any TMJ disorders, it is common to suffer from pain, discomfort, or swelling. Different types of treatments can be used bases on your ailment. With pain, use heat packs and with swelling, use ice packs.
– If your TMJ is causing you jaw pain, there may be an underlying illness contributing to it, such as bruxism. Bruxism refers to teeth grinding, often while you sleep. However, grinding your teeth inevitably leads to undue jaw stress and potential TMJ disorders to manifest or worsen.
Dr. Norman Zanger, Dr. Scott Wathen, and Dr. Benjamin Taylor at First Care Dental will help you with your oral health care in any way we can. If you would like to schedule a visit to our dentist office in Louisville, Kentucky, please call us at 502-893-5677. We look forward to hearing from you soon!