It’s pretty safe to say, that most of us that live in Bootle, consider that dental work and procedures are done to maintain the health of just our teeth and gums. Truth is, it goes a lot deeper than that. Dental work also protects the occlusion or the ‘bite’ of the mouth and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This is where the lower jaw is attached to the upper jaw and it’s all held together by muscles and cartilage. An awful lot of stress goes through this joint every day, from normal processes like chewing, biting and speaking, to abnormal processes like teeth grinding or clenching. Regular dental work ensures that the correct bite is maintained to keep the lower jaw ‘true’ to the upper jaw when they are closed together. Such procedures include the fitting of braces and crowns, replacement of missing teeth and if needed, the treatment of bruxism through the use of mouth-guards; all these are done to relieve the stress on the TMJ as we go through life. If however, these are ignored, the head may become vulnerable to TMJ syndrome, that is, damage to the jaw’s joints. This manifests itself through jaw ache that can spread throughout the head and into the neck and upper back. The jaw may ‘click’ and become inflamed and painful and can also lead to damage in the ears and again, Any problems should be addressed immediately and may require a change in lifestyle because if not treated, the jaw may also require surgery to correct the problem.
The jaw joint is also known as temporomandibular joint and consists of two bones – the upper temporal bone and the lower mandible separated by an articular disc. One of the most common problems that affect the jaw joint is temporomandibular dysfunction. In this condition, the jaw muscles become more tense than normal. Sometimes you can experience jaw problems if you have undergone tooth extraction, especially those present at the back of the mouth.
Here is another reason why you should avoid stress. Teeth grinding!