We are often taught to live with pain. We hear phrases like, “Tough it out,” and “Walk it off!” There is an advantage to this kind of advice. After all, there are times when you genuinely aren’t as hurt as you think you are, and you just need someone to remind that you can keep moving.
Unfortunately, we sometimes take things too far. It’s easy to ignore pain after so much practice, but there are some pains that shouldn’t be ignored. Take a headache, for example. They don’t happen all the time, and we can get really good at justifying the headache as something that you don’t have to worry about.
However, headaches don’t happen for no reason! If you are having regular headaches or migraines, there is a reason. You’ll probably begin at your doctor’s office, and you might receive a prescription for pain relievers, but that won’t solve the problem.
Believe it or not, your solution could be right here at Plano Smile Studio! That’s right, we are a dental office that could solve your routine headaches or migraines! Often, regular headaches are caused by problems with your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Let’s take some time to dig into this particular problem so that you will know if it’s time to make an appointment!
Suffering from Headaches Affects Your Entire Life
When you have a headache several times each week, it can add a lot of stress and discomfort to your life! There are very few breaks from the pain, which leaves you on edge most of the time! We know the discomfort that comes, and that’s why we love to help!
When you are always waiting for the next headache, you are always experiencing stress. That comes out in every area of your life! Your family will notice as will your co-workers, your friends, and anyone else in your life! You don’t have to live that way any longer.
To find out if your headaches could be linked with your TMJ, take a look at some of these other symptoms that could be signs of a problem with your jaw joint.
Any of These Other Symptoms?
Pain in or around the ear, sometimes spreading to the face.
Tenderness of the jaw muscles.
Clicking or popping noise when one opens or closes the mouth.
Difficulty in opening one’s mouth.
Jaws that “get stuck”, “lock”, or “go out.”
Pain brought on by yawning, chewing, or opening the mouth widely.
Neck or shoulder aches.
A Dental Appointment Discovery
If, after reading our list, you are starting to connect some dots for your own experience, it’s time to pick up the phone and give us a call! During your next dental appointment, we can take a look at your jaw and find out very quickly if your TMJ is in trouble.
It won’t take us very long to find out! We will probably take some images of your jaw and ask you lots of questions, but in the end, we will have a good idea of what is going on inside your jaw joint! Then it will be time to discuss what we can do to help remove the pain and solve the problem.
Treatment Options
When we begin treating TMJ, we want to begin with the most conservative treatment possible. In most cases, that means giving your jaw some rest from extreme movements, but we might take things a few steps further.
Things You Can Do at Home
TMJ pain is often related to clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep or are in stressful situations. To remedy that, we might recommend that you practice relaxation techniques, like placing your tongue between your front teeth. You might also try a warm compress on your jaw before drifting off to sleep or an over-the-counter muscle relaxant.
Office-driven Treatments
When simple changes aren’t enough, we will attack your TMJ with a different approach. We will begin with a nightguard, which is a mouthguard you can wear while you sleep. This will protect your teeth from the grinding and clenching of your teeth. In extreme instances, we might turn to a surgical procedure to perform repairs on the joint itself.
Don’t Suffer, Call Today!
Tired of the constant headaches or migraines? End your suffering today. If your doctor wasn’t able to find the problem causing your headaches, maybe we can! Contact us today to set up a consultation or appointment. We would love to see you and your smile right here in our Plano, TX office very soon!
