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TMJD/Teeth Grinding in Melbourne CBD

What Is TMJD?

woman holding her jaw in painTMJD stands for temporomandibular joint disorders. This affects approximately 30 percent of adults at some stage in their lives. TMJD symptoms can be varied but include:

  • Discomfort or pain in your jaw joint, felt in front of your ears
  • Headaches that can radiate all over your head
  • Jaw clicking or ‘popping’ sounds when moving your jaw
  • Muscle tightness or pain in your facial muscles or neck.
  • Changes in your bite or feeling that your teeth do not come together properly

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What causes TMJD?

There is no single cause for TMJD in many cases it is a combination of factors. One of the most common contributing factors is teeth grinding or jaw clenching, which can be made worse by stress. Things like jaw injury or trauma, changes to your bite from new or damaged fillings or crowns and even lifestyle factors and habits can contribute. Obstructive sleep apnoea can be another contributing factor. As an underlying cause of tooth grinding that commonly contributes to TMJD, if you have other associated symptoms of sleep apnoea, such as frequent snoring we would rule this out as a cause first.

What Are the Benefits of TMJD Management?

TMJD can affect your quality of life—living with chronic pain makes the simple day-to-day more difficult, and interrupted sleep can make things even more challenging. Addressing the underlying causes of TMJD can help resolve frequent headaches and jaw pain, reduce stiffness, reduce clicking or locking and help protect your teeth. Our patients who’ve been treated for TMJD, snoring or sleep apnoea directly attribute treatment to improvements in their energy levels, relationships, ability to function at work and home. The benefits can be really life-changing.

If you have some of the aforementioned symptoms, the best advice would be to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists. In order to diagnose TMJD, an assessment of your Temporomandibular Jaw joint is required and an x-ray may be recommended. With such a strong correlation between TMJD and tooth grinding it is also important to get your teeth checked, to ensure irreversible damage is not already occurring. The vast majority of people who show signs of TMJD are unaware they grind their teeth. It is an increasingly common issue, however, it is easy to prevent further damage.

Depending on your symptoms, various treatments may be offered, including:

  • Dental treatment to stabilise your bite or replace missing teeth
  • Muscle-relaxant injections
  • Specialist physio or osteo referral

Why Choose Collins Street Dental for your TMJD treatment?

Our dentists have done further training in this area to allow them to offer a wide range of tools to help manage the complexities of TMJD. TMJD and teeth grinding do not appear overnight, and finding the right treatment can require a certain level of expertise.

We will take the time to address the cause and ensure every aspect of your treatment is taken care of.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a dental splint?

A dental splint or occlusal splint is a customised device that you wear over your teeth, like a mini mouthguard, at night. It is constructed in a way that allows your jaw to rest in an ideal position, whilst you sleep, relieving pressure on your facial muscles and jaw joints. It also provides protection to your teeth from the damage that can be caused by tooth grinding.

What can a dentist do about snoring?

Snoring may be caused by sleep apnoea, a condition in which your breathing stops and restarts repeatedly during the night. For mild cases, we can create a device similar to an occlusal splint that is custom made to fit over your top and bottom teeth. This stabilises your jaw as you sleep and prevents your tongue from constricting your airway, reducing snoring and allowing you and your partner to get a blissful, quiet night’s quality sleep.

The Services Our Team Offers

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Contact us today to learn more about TMJD, teeth grinding or snoring.

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TMJD/Teeth Grinding Melbourne CBD | (03) 9654 5144