Grinding and Clenching of the Teeth
Grinding and clenching of the teeth, mostly suffered at night time, are caused by stress and other related reasons. Patients who suffer from these symptoms complain about morning headaches and difficulty with opening the mouth and eating food in the morning. Unless necessary measures are taken, they might lead to tooth fractures, gingival recession and problems in the joints.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
The function of the temporomandibular joint is related with chewing and talking. Any damage to the joint (accidents, wrong treatments, stress, habits etc.) leads to joint disorders. The resulting damage might affect the bones or soft tissues. Based on the severity of the damage, the patient might experience some problems ranging from basic symptoms such as clicking sound to more severe problems such as jaw locking and severe ache. Temporomandibular joint disorders become more severe when they are not treated. Therefore, the sooner the treatment starts, the more likely it is to obtain successful results.
When Should I See a Dentist?
It is recommended that you see a doctor when you experience pain in the jaw, limitations in the mouth opening, difficulty with chewing, clicking sounds in the joint or any unusual feeling in the jaw.
After the examination, treatment options will be determined depending on your condition and the phase of the disorder.
• Drug Therapy
• Physiotherapy exercises
• Night plaque
• BOTOX application on masticatory muscles
• Arthrocentesis
• Joint surgery