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Many people suffer from a condition known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD). One common cause of TMD involves grinding or clenching teeth. As the holiday season approaches, more and more people could experience increased levels of stress and anxiety. Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Jones and Dr. Harris, discuss how they can diagnose and treat TMD.

What causes Bruxism?

People grind teeth for a few different reasons. Many people simply consume too much caffeine prior to bedtime. If you wake up and experience jaw tightness, the cause of your bruxism could involve caffeine consumption. Minimize your sugar and caffeine intake after 4 pm to reduce the effects of caffeine-related bruxism. Many patients whom use tobacco and alcohol products also increase their risk of bruxism-related TMD.

Some studies show that men experience higher rates of stress-related bruxism due to work stress. When superiors ride their employees to their breaking point and offer little consolation, bruxism can occur. We can treat the symptoms related to bruxism with a nightguard. At our Mansfield dentist office, we can custom-fit you a nightguard to wear while sleeping. In some instances, wearing the nightguard can retrain the jaw muscles to naturally relax.

Habits that Cause TMD

Some people engage in habits harmful to their jaw and facial joint muscle health. Like with any muscles in the body, excessive use can result in pain or discomfort. Chewing on pens or pencils during work can lead to patients experiencing significant jaw tightness or jaw soreness. To reduce the effects of habit-related TMD, simply stop chewing on pens and pencils.

Jaw Popping

Sometimes, jaw muscles simply don’t fit together as well as they should. TMD falls into the category of neuromuscular dentistry. When broken down; “neuro” deals with the nervous system, “muscular” involves the facial muscles, and “dentistry” relates to how we can treat your TMD in our office. If you experience jaw popping, or facial tenderness and pain, we recommend that you visit our office. We use advanced technology to treat the symptoms related to TMD and you could find yourself experiencing less jaw pain. Don’t simply assume that a good night’s sleep is out of the question, call our office.

Schedule Your TMD Visit

Suffering from jaw pain? Grinding and clenching teeth? Dr. Jones and Dr. Harris can provide comprehensive dental care as well as bruxism and TMD treatments. Contact our 76063 dentist office by calling (817) 259-1357 to schedule an appointment today. We proudly serve patients from Mansfield, South Arlington, Kennedale, Southeast Ft. Worth, Alvarado, Midlothian, and surrounding communities.