In this section of Recommended Dentist Kinnelon, we are covering dentists who treat TMD/TMJ causes, symptoms .   If you ever felt chronic pain in your jaw, or thought you have TMJ disorder, there are numerous conditions that are associated with TMD/TMJ.Locate the best recommended TMJ TMD Dentist in Kinnelon and Wayne

Since there are numerous conditions associated with this, you should visit a recommended dentist in the area of Kinnelon and Wayne that will help you diagnose and treat this problem.

The article below will help you understand more about this problem.

Can Clenching or Grinding Your Teeth Cause TMJ TMD (Temporal Mandibular Joint Disease or Disorder)?

By Georgia Swan

The TMJ is located in front of our ears. Put your fingers in front of your ears right now and open wide then close. Did you feel that? That is the TMJ. If you can picture a skull from science class or the museum, it’s the “hinge” that allows the bottom jaw to move.

There are many muscles and tendons that make up this joint as well as the bones. When someone is clenching or grinding their teeth, they’re continually flexing those muscles. If the muscles don’t get a chance to relax, they get tight just like the muscles in other parts of our bodies.

These tight muscles COULD cause the jaw to shift or move out of its natural position. When that happens the body recognizes that the teeth are longer in the correct position and as a result, some people will grind their teeth. If these things happen without noticing any of the symptoms it’s sometimes hard to determine which happened first, the TMJD or teeth grinding.

The mind and body are always working in unison whether we’re aware of it or not. The most natural position for these muscles is the one mother nature gave us, mouth closed and our teeth are almost together. The body/mind will fight back and we’ll clench and grind some more.

Symptoms of TMJD can mimic some of the symptoms associated with someone that has been grinding their teeth. They could have a tired jaw in the morning or end of the day. There could be some noises when opening. Generally if there is no pain with the noise there is nothing to be alarmed about. Pain and noise could indicate a more severe problem. Other symptoms we’ve heard are headaches, earaches or neck pain.

Someone with TMJD is advised to rest the joint. Limit real chewy foods like taffy, caramel, pizza crust, bagels and gum to mention a few. Any foods that you have to break off like carrots or apples should be cut up so you don’t stress the joint. Believe it or not even limiting talking will help! (Husband and wives love this one.) Rest is key. Warm compresses and anti-inflammatory, over the counters, if your able to take them will also help. When in doubt check with your primary care physician or dental professional.

If you’ve read any of my other articles you may say I sound like a broken record so here goes. As always, visit your dentist or hygienist if you have any questions or concerns.

There is more information available than any of us could possibly ever read so if you’d like some remedies for grinding teeth, head on over and check out some of my recommendations. I’ve tried to make all the readings easy to understand and given advice and information that I would recommend if you were in my chair right now. Here’s a link to my site if you’d like more information.  http://remediesforgrindingteeth.com

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Filed under: TMJ TMD Dentist

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