JMD refers to temporomandibular disorder and is characterized by pain within the two joints connecting the jawbone to the skull. The pain may occur from injury, teeth clenching, grinding, arthritis, and genetics. Patients with this disorder have challenges opening their mouths to eat or speak. Although it is difficult to diagnose temporomandibular disorder, once diagnosed, the condition is curable. Teeth restorations such as dental bridges are one of the ways dentists can treat TMJ symptoms.
Uneven Bites and TMJ
If your teeth are missing due to tooth decay, trauma, or disease, you will have gaps that cause misalignment of the jaw. The misalignment occurs when the neighboring teeth start shifting into the gap. The shift can also change your bite and affect the balance of the jaw. An imbalance of the jaw causes the jaw muscles to stress when chewing. As a result, you experience sudden jaw pain – a symptom of TMJ. Cracked teeth may also lead to misalignment of your bite as the teeth grind against each other. As such, there is excess stress occurring on TMJ muscles and joints.
How Bridges Can Resolve TMJ
To resolve issues with TMJ arising from missing teeth, a dentist recommends a dental bridge that helps fill the gap created by the missing teeth. This way, the dental bridge restores your bite, creates balance, and prevents excess jaw strain and temporomandibular disorder. In case of front teeth missing, porcelain bridges may be recommended to replace them. We may use other types of bridges if you have back teeth missing.
While bridges can help deal with TMJ, different patients respond differently to the treatment. That is why you need to talk to our team to see if bridges can work out. For more information on how to manage TMJ, call us today. Based on your examination, we may recommend bridges or other treatments.
Dental Blog | Dallas Prosthodontics - Dallas, TX Drs. Castellon and Buskin are offering this educational blog as a resource to our patients and the community. We hope that this blog will help you. Learn more. Dallas Prosthodontics, 6029 Belt Line Road, Suite 120, Dallas, TX 75254 - (972) 503-7200 - dallasprosthodontics.com - 9/14/2024 - Related Phrases: Prosthodontist Dallas TX -