When you clench and grind your teeth at night, each tooth sends electrical signals to the central nervous system, then the brain, and last, to the chewing muscles of the jaw. Studies have shown that humans clench and grind 2-6 hours nightly. Intensity is the only variable.
What is TMJ?
Because the nerves in your face, mouth, and jaw are so close to your brain the nerve endings can be excruciatingly painful. For many people, facial pain is often related to the temporomandibular joint. The temporomandibular joint is a hinge-like joint that connects your upper and lower jawbones. When the joint isn’t working properly it can cause severe pain cause symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ.
Possible Symptoms of TMJ Include:
To view a full list of possible symptoms of TMJ, please click here.
- Tinnitus
- Worn-down teeth
- Jaw soreness in morning/afternoon
- Headaches, migraines and neck aches
- Upper back tightness
- Popping and clicking of the jaw
- Jaw deviates to left or right when opening or closing
- Limited opening & closing of the jaw
- Difficulty in speaking and eating
- Pressure in-ear or Dizziness
Risk Factors of TMJ
While it’s oftentimes easy to recognize the symptoms of TMJ and nerve pain, it’s a lot harder to determine the cause of the pain. While there are many different possibilities of what causes TMJ, we have listed a few for you below.
- Nighttime clenching and grinding
- Daytime clenching
- Arthritis
- Accidents to the jaw
- Anatomical issues of the joints
- Extremely poor bite
- Anxiety and stress
How to Treat TMJ with Orthostop
Ortho-Stop prevents the back teeth from making contact so that there are minimal firings. If you can’t make contact, the teeth can’t fire. The muscles relax and you sleep sounder. A night guard is minimally effective because the back teeth do contact. Ortho-Stop is scientifically sound. There are multiple different areas where you will see improvement thanks to Orthostop, such as:
- Dramatically Reduces Headaches and Migraines of Dental Origin
- Dramatically less Jaw Pain
- Dramatically Reduces TMJ Related Tinnitus, Ear Pressure, Ear Pain, and Vertigo
- Less Pain and Stiffness in the Neck, Shoulders, and the Upper Back
- Dramatically Reduces Popping and Clicking of the Jaw
- Reduced Pain when Eating and Talking, with Better Opening and Closing of the Mouth
- Major Reduction in Symptoms 1-4 Weeks
- Improves Quality of Sleep
- Reduces nighttime clenching and grinding by up to 70-80%
If you are having discomfort due to TMJ, give our TMJ specialist, Dr. Pine a call, and find out how OrthoStop, a TMJ treatment can help you!