If you are a person who suffers from chronic headaches or migraines, you know all too well how unbearable the pain can be during these events. In addition, you also know how these problems impact your life in other ways, such as missing days from work, not being able to attend family gatherings, and so forth. For many people who suffer from these problems, the cause is TMJ Disorder. The TMJ, standing for temporomandibular joint, is the joint which allows your jawbone to move up and down and side to side. Yet, when the joints and muscles within this area are out of alignment, you may experience jaw and headaches or migraines. Fortunately, a dentist trained in this area can help you deal with your chronic headaches and migraines.
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
When your TMJ is out of alignment, you will likely be prone to grinding and clenching your teeth, which puts large amounts of pressure on your jaw. As a result, chronic headaches and migraines become a common occurrence. If you try to treat these headaches with only over-the-counter pain relievers, you’ll only get temporary relief at best. If the misaligned TMJ is not treated by an experienced TMJ dentist, your headaches will continue and likely worsen.
TMJ Disorder Symptoms
As for the symptoms associated with TMJ Disorder, the most common include, of course, your chronic headaches and all-too-common migraines. But along with the headaches, you’re also probably experiencing other problems such as teeth grinding and clenching, frequent pain in your TMJ and other areas of your jaw, jaw clicking or locking, and earaches or tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears. If you’re experiencing such symptoms, schedule an appointment with a TMJ dentist as soon as possible.
Neuromuscular Invisalign
For many patients suffering from TMJ Disorder, a treatment known as neuromuscular Invisalign has proved to be very effective. Since problems with the TMJ often result from teeth that do not fit together as they should, neuromuscular Invisalign can often be used to solve the problem. Once your dentist uses a T-Scan, which is a digital occlusion analysis device, the issue causing your headaches can be quickly diagnosed. Once done, your dentist can then develop a treatment plan including neuromuscular Invisalign, occlusal adjustments, and TENS Machines that offer non-medication pain relief to relieve your symptoms and rid you of your headaches.
If you are experiencing problems with TMJ Disorder and believe you may be a candidate for neuromuscular Invisalign, schedule a consultation today with a TMJ dentist.