Many people suffer from daily pain due to a jaw that is misaligned. Most people usually overlook these TMJ symptoms as stress from their everyday lives. Some of the most common symptoms of a misaligned jaw are:
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Dizziness
- Pain in the face or jaw
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Sensitive teeth
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Locking or clicking jaw
- Teeth that are worn or cracked
- Depression
- Ringing in the ears (Tinnitus)
The TMJ or temporomandibular joint, along with other muscles, is used for every movement of our mouth. This joint makes it possible to open and close our mouth, as well as speak, chew, and swallow food. Because this joint attaches directly to our skulls, any dysfunction in the joint will radiate outward and affect the rest of the head. This is the main reason that so many people suffer from headaches and migraines when they have bad jaw placement. This can lead to something called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
A misaligned jaw is sometimes hard to see without the help of an experienced neuromuscular dentist. A few of the most common reasons that a jaw is misaligned are:
- An overbite. This is probably the most common problem leading to TMD or temporomandibular disorder. This problem is typically the easiest to see because you will notice that your lower teeth fit too far back under your top teeth. The amount of which can be minute to drastically noticeable.
- Previous orthodontic procedures. While orthodontic treatments will straighten and align teeth, they don’t align or address problems that may reside in the jaw or joint function. Recent studies show that nearly half of all people who complete an orthodontic treatment process will have jaw problems which can lead to many of the symptoms related to TMD.
- The use of dentures or partials. These devices do not offer any support to your jaws and they sometimes don’t offer a great replacement for the loss of teeth. People who wear these types of devices have a higher risk of wearing down their jaw joints.
Call today for a complimentary consultation at 855.TMJ.DOCS and let the doctors at the Headache & TMJ Center of New Jersey help you get out of pain!