When your body is in pain, it’s sending a message that something is wrong. If you have pain, you take medicine; if the pain doesn’t subside, you see a doctor. When you ignore the messages your body sends you, not only does the pain remain (and sometimes intensify), but the condition causing it can become worse. At Dental Solutions of Mississippi, we’re well aware of one particular type of pain that often goes undiagnosed and untreated — pain that results from TMD.
What Is TMD?
Everyone has temporomandibular joints, which connect the lower jaw to the upper. When the TMJ becomes inflamed, you experience a temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD. TMD can cause symptoms such as:
- Generalized jaw pain
- Earaches, the ringing of the ears, or dizziness
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Clicking and popping sounds
- Pain when talking, chewing, or yawning
- Lockjaw or the inability to open or close your mouth freely
The problem is that some of these symptoms — such as earaches, shoulder pain, and dizziness — aren’t usually associated with the jaw, so if you see your general practitioner for these symptoms, they won’t instinctively assume that it is related to your jaw.
Dental Solutions of Mississippi to the Rescue!
If you’ve been experiencing the aforementioned symptoms, we can help! Once you’ve been diagnosed, we can devise a treatment plan that will work with your lifestyle. Some patients simply require stretching exercises to loosen the jaw muscles, while others require treatments such as orthodontics or oral appliances to correct the misalignment that is causing pain. Whatever the case may be, we’re ready to help you find some well-deserved relief from your symptoms.
If you live in or near Canton, Mississippi, we’d love to care for your smile as well as your jaw pain. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation.