Experiencing pain, clicking or discomfort in the jaw may be a sign of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder—a disorder that affects a large percentage of the population. The symptoms for TMJ disorder may have a slow onset and can be a painless inconvenience manageable enough to be ignored. However, leaving TMJ symptoms untreated can progress into something constant and painful. This can affect aspects of your daily life if you take it for granted. It is important to talk to your dentist to address the symptoms early and to avail TMJ & TMD Treatment like the ones we offer here at Retro Dental Highlands. Doing so will help you avoid suffering serious, long-term health issues.
If you are curious about what these long-term health issues are, read on to know some of them:
Discomfort in your back, neck and shoulder area
Despite being a problem with the temporomandibular joint, TMJ disorder can cause radiating discomfort throughout other parts of your body. The small adjustment to jaw alignment causes other muscle groups in the body to overcompensate for it. Thus, muscle fatigue is experienced beginning in the jaw and moving along the vertebrae—causing pain in the shoulders, back, hips, and more. Over time, other joints in the body can become affected by alignment issues and lead to increased discomfort all over the body.
Migraine headaches
TMJ disorders have been linked to migraine headaches as well as other types of severe headaches. With TMJ, the joint that connects the jaw to the skull frequently becomes unaligned. When that happens, the muscles in your face, neck, jaw, and other parts of your body become stressed. The debilitating headaches that result in this lead to missed work and social opportunities. It can even affect the simplest things in your daily routine.
Hearing loss or damage
Your jaw connects to the skull near the location of your ear canal. Thus, inflammation of muscles responsible for opening and closing the jaw can have radiating effects. Over time, the sensitive area surrounding the ear canal can be affected by symptoms of TMJ disorder and is often misinterpreted as an ear infection. In severe cases of TMJ disorder, you can experience tinnitus and ear damage that may lead to hearing loss.
Bring back comfort around your TMJ area through the help of TMJ & TMD Treatment in Denver, CO. Schedule an appointment with us at Retro Dental Highlands and avail effective treatments for your TMJ problems.