The TMJ (temporomandibular joint) connects the jawbone to the skull and can malfunction when stressed or misaligned. The malfunction results in compromised movements, causing TMJ disorder, mainly characterized by jaw, face, ear, and mouth pain. Gaithersburg TMJ pain management is essential for dental health, function, and overall wellness. If left untreated, TMJ disorder can lead to more worrying problems than difficulty biting and chewing. Among the notable complications that emphasize the need for prompt and effective TMJ pain management include the following:
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is persistent pain lasting upwards of a week. Chronic pain is often incapacitating, which challenges your ability to manage day-to-day activities. You could struggle to work, eat, engage in physical activities, and enjoy life. Such considerations affect the quality of your, emphasizing the need for prompt and effective TMJ pain management.
Poor sleep quality
The pain alone can affect your sleep quality, more so accompanied by teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism), which is common among most people with TMJ disorder. Moreover, jaw misalignment affects the tongue position as you sleep, which blocks the airways. Blocked airflow makes it difficult to breathe, leading to sleep apnea and, over time, can contribute to insomnia. Quality sleep is essential for your overall wellness, from mental, cardiovascular, and physical wellness, stressing the need to seek immediate TMJ care.
Anxiety and depression
Impacted sleep quality and pain affect your mental wellness. This worsens with concerns like vertigo and tinnitus. TMJ can cause or aggravate vertigo as jaw inflammation affects the middle and inner ear, affecting your sense of balance. Vertigo makes you feel like the surroundings are moving/spinning. This causes panic and anxiety. Tinnitus also results from inflammation affecting the eardrum, hence the pain and noise. Considering the physical stress and frequent panic and anxiety episodes, TMJ puts you at an increased risk of depression, more so as your productivity deteriorates.
Dental problems
TMJ disorder can be caused or cause bruxism. Bruxism is the involuntary clenching and grinding of teeth, mostly in sleep. The grinding/clenching exerts excessive stress on your teeth, gums, and jaws, speeding up the wear and worsening inflammation. The speedy wear and teeth erosion increases the risk of infections. As the jaw and gums also take a blow, you are at high risk of tooth loss. You are also at high risk of other significant dental issues, including gum disease.
Dental problems are more likely to occur since the misalignment impacts your oral hygiene efforts, not to mention the pain and increased sensitivity as your teeth enamel wears off. TMJ pain management can alleviate stress, which is among the common factors contributing to bruxism. This helps minimize the impact, keeping dental problems at bay and making it easier to lead a better life.
TMJ disorder is easily self-diagnosable. For example, if you experience neck, jaw, and facial pain, it could indicate TMJ disorder and should prompt you to seek medical care. Visit CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center today for TMJ pain management.
