When it comes to ensuring your smile is receiving the attention and care it needs to maintain lifelong health, we encourage you to include the health of your jaw joints that help your jaw move as it should. These joints are called the TMJs, which stands for temporomandibular joints, and they help your mouth maintain its proper oral function. If you have developed a TMJ disorder that causes jaw pain, we are pleased to provide some strategies to help reduce discomfort:
– It’s important to avoid the practice of bad dental habits like chewing on pens or your nails because these can cause damage to your jaw health.
– If you frequently experience the discomfort of sore jaw joints, you may need to adjust your diet so that you aren’t eating tough and chewy foods like steak or chewing a lot of gum, as this can cause wear to your jaw.
– Some cases of TMJ disorder discomfort respond favorably to alternative treatment methods such as meditation, yoga, stress balls and biofeedback, and you may find that this lowers stress and therefore reduces jaw pain.
– Discomfort caused by TMJ disorder can be reduced with heat packs, and any resulting inflammation or swelling in the jaw joints can be improved with ice packs.
– Take note of any health or medical conditions you have that may be linked to TMJ disorder, including bruxism. This is an unconscious condition that causes tooth grinding and clenching, especially during sleep. The frequent pressure of bruxism wears on the jaw joints over time, resulting in jaw damage and pain that is often associated with a TMJ disorder.
If you have further questions for Dr. J. Kenneth Carver and our team about addressing TMJ disorder in Kingsport, Tennessee, you are welcome to give us a call at 423-247-5175 today. We would be happy to arrange your visit to Kingsport Dentistry!
