Are you experiencing headaches, ear pain, jaw clicking and soreness or pain in the jaw then you may need TMJ help. There are several areas that you may need to be aware of to understand what may have started your problems with TMJ.
Let's take a look at some of the causes of TMJ.
One of the biggest culprits that trigger this condition is teeth grinding. This happens often while you are sleeping which means you are not aware of grinding. All of sudden one day you have pain in your jaw and wondering what could have caused the pain. Closely related to grinding your teeth is stress. While stress doesn't necessarily cause TMJ it definitely can cause you to grind your teeth and therefore lead to this condition.
Who would ever think that using the phone at work would put you in a situation where you could develop TMJ. The constant holding of you phone between your ear and shoulder over time can develop bad position habits that can cause this condition. If you had an accident that would bring trauma to the jaw that could result in a problem with your jaw. Also an alignment problem with your teeth can lead to chewing problems, jaw clicking all possibly leading to TMJ.
There are several treatments you should consider if you suffer from this condition. It is important that you do your research to help you narrow down your choices.
There are some things you can do on your own to help yourself.
The first type of treatment you should consider is some things you can do on your own to ease the pain. Ice is always helpful to reduce pain and inflammation. Refrain from chewing gum on a regular basis and avoiding eating foods that would cause you to open your mouth wider than usual. Ibuprofen which is an over the counter medication can help with the pain and inflammation. It is important to note that these treatments are usually temporary and you will need professional help if your condition worsens.
Should you consider surgery?
Oral surgery should be a last resort because surgery can sometimes come with complications. Before surgery physical therapy is a good option if it is recommended by your physician. Of course surgery depends on whether you have medical insurance. If you don't own this type of insurance TMJ surgery may be too expensive for you.
The dentist may be your best option.
The next option you should strongly consider is a visit to the dentist. Your dentist will want to take x-rays, check the alignment of your teeth and you may be fitted with a special mouthpiece that you will wear at night. The mouthpiece will help reduce pressure on the joint. Also the FDA just approved an FTI device to protect the teeth from further wear which will allow the muscles to relax.
The dental option should be high on your list to explore as a step to end your suffering from TMJ. Help from your dentist can be expensive but will be far less costly than surgery. If you have dental insurance then you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Just like medical insurance dental insurance can be expensive. If you don't have dental insurance a good option for you to consider would be a discount dental plan. I find it to be very affordable with generous discounts on almost all dental procedures. It is offered by some of the major insurance companies and will allow you to get help immediately from a dentist in your area.
If you have tried some of the treatments that you can do yourself mentioned in this article and are still having problems you should consider going to a dentist to get help. If you would like to consider the discount dental plan option to save money on going to the dentist keep reading and you will be able to do a free search for dentists in your area. You will also be able to calculate the cost and discounts you will receive with this dental plan.
How Does Dental Insurance Benefit the Policy Holder? Dental Insurance: An Important Factor Looking For An Inexpensive Dental Plan? Individual Dental Plan Insurance
0 comments:
Post a Comment