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You can achieve a beautiful smile in many ways, from a clean healthy mouth to replacement teeth, or correcting imperfections with porcelain veneers. You’ve spent time and energy making your teeth shine and you’re smile is the picture of perfect oral health. Now it’s important to make sure it stays that way.
Many people are unaware of the tiny joints situated just in front of their ears. The temporomandibular joints, or TMJ, join your lower jaw and skull and under normal circumstances, allow your mouth to open and close easily. TMJ are surprisingly sensitive. Just a little extra stress or a slight misalignment of your bite can cause dysfunction resulting in subconscious teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Watch out! Grinding and clenching not only result in headaches, earaches, and a sore jaw. It is also responsible for wearing down your teeth, robbing you of your beautiful smile.
There is good news for patients who suffer with TMJ dysfunction and subsequent grinding and clenching. We can stop the pain or TMD and protect your teeth with a simple dental appliance. Made of a thin plastic, the bite appliance is comfortable to wear, repositions your jaw to allow for muscle relaxation and stops grinding and clenching. We may also recommend stress management options and discuss other ways to relieve your symptoms, such as avoiding gum, hard or sticky food, and other behavior modifications.
Because TMJ dysfunction is so prevalent in our society, we provide a thorough examination and bite assessment at every routine dental visit. Protect your teeth and your smile. Contact our office for your appointment today.
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