How Do You Know If Your TMJ Is Out Of Alignment?

Misaligned jaws don’t make themselves apparent, making people not realize they have one. The symptoms of a misaligned jaw remain subtle but cause many problems, including chewing and speaking, headaches, neck pain, et cetera.

If your TMJ is out of alignment, making you a victim of misaligned jaws, you may also experience bite problems because your teeth are misaligned. In addition, you may notice your jaw makes clicking and popping sounds when opening and closing your mouth, find it challenging to chew and swallow foods besides having pain in your head, jaw, and neck.

In addition, you might also receive reports from your bed partner that you are involved in clenching and grinding your teeth loudly when sleeping. You may think the problem is mild because everyone might do so at some point. However, do you realize the habit can cause damage to your teeth by eroding tooth enamel resulting in sensitivity and pain to your teeth? If you don’t, we suggest you consider the problem concerning and see your dentist as soon as possible for a remedy.

Can a Misaligned Jaw Fix Itself?

For mysterious reasons, problems from TMJ misalignments tend to fix themselves in a couple of months and disappear without treatment. However, it doesn’t indicate the misalignment has set itself because it is only the symptoms that subside. Therefore your best option is to consult the dentist near you to determine whether you have a severe issue that needs intervention by medical professionals.

If your misalignment is severe, you may require surgery to realign your jaws. Surgery is successful in most cases in correcting the misalignment to restore normal function. However, you must discuss the pros and cons of the procedure to determine whether it is the best course of action for your situation.

How Does It Feel to Have a Misaligned Jaw?

Living with a misaligned jaw comes with several challenges that you will find concerning. It is not a pleasant experience and will likely make you feel you must overcome the problem as soon as possible.

When your jaws are incorrectly aligned, they place undue stress on the joints and muscles in the neck, jaw, and head area resulting in discomfort. The pain is persistent but appears and goes off regularly. In addition, the pain intensity can vary from mild to severe. People affected by this issue generally resort to taking over-the-counter painkillers for relief. Unfortunately, the discomfort doesn’t respond to self-care measures making a misaligned jaw a severe condition needing proper diagnosis and treatment.

Bruxism resulting in teeth grinding is a common condition affecting adults and children and causing multiple problems. For example, grinding your teeth can damage them, leading to jaw pain. It also causes headaches and earaches. You might not realize you grind your teeth because it usually occurs when sleeping.

Some habits like stress, caffeine, and alcohol intake can increase the risk of bruxism. If you think you grind your teeth, you must meet the dentist in Coquitlam to evaluate the condition and rule out other causes to receive treatment. Teeth grinding treatments generally involve wearing a night guard to protect your teeth.

You might also notice a noticeable misalignment of your teeth because of a misaligned TMJ. You may have under-bites, over-bites, or protruding teeth from the misalignment making the condition noticeable. In addition, misaligned teeth make it challenging for you to speak and chew, besides cleaning your teeth to make you a victim of dental infections that need frequent treatments from dentists.

The problems that confront you remain concerning needing treatment early to prevent the need for surgery and invasive treatments. In addition, early intervention helps save time and money over the long term.

As living with a misaligned jaw poses several challenges, you will likely prefer getting the problem treated instead of leaving it as it is. On the other hand, you will undoubtedly not like having a misaligned jaw because it impacts your smile and self-confidence, besides imposing other challenges described in this article.

Overcome Problems with a Misaligned Jaw to Get the Smile You Desire

Misaligned jaws become apparent by indicating several signs. For example, you may notice your teeth are not lining correctly or experience pain in your teeth, jaw, or ears. If you are affected by these problems, you help yourself by contacting the Tri-Cities Dental Specialist for a consultation. The specialists will conduct a comprehensive exam to develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs and help you achieve your desired smile.