Teeth Grinding

Jaw Joint Pain

The TMJ is the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull.  Pain in and around the jaw joint is referred to as temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction or TMD for short.  Most commonly, teeth grinding is the cause of TMD.  Symptoms of TMD include:

• Jaw pain on waking in the morning or evening pain
• Clicking jaw joint or stiffness in the jaw or locking of the jaw joint
• Earache or Tinnitus or limited mouth opening
• Sore teeth when chewing or sensitive teeth
• Breaking teeth and dental work regularly

Most commonly TMD is caused from the jaw joints and muscles being overused.  This is much like overworking the muscles at the gym, which causes them to become inflamed and sore. Even overworking the muscles by chewing gum or excessive talking can cause symptoms.

Teeth Grinding

There are many causes of jaw pain. The most common is from grinding teeth against each other, usually occurring during sleep.  People may also clench their teeth which can be caused by stress, anxiety or concentrating. Habits such as nail biting or chewing pens or pencils can also cause pain in the jaw joints and muscles in the face and around it.

Aside from pain, if teeth grinding is left untreated it can have consequences for your teeth. Grinding teeth wears them down.  The length of a healthy unworn front tooth is about 10 – 11mm. If a tooth is worn down even a few millimetres, 30% or more of the tooth is worn away.

Sometimes teeth wear so extensively only a couple of millimetres of tooth remains. At this point treatment options are limited.

Often the teeth wears so much that its nerves become exposed, which can be very painful. Teeth wearing is usually a slow process so most people are not aware of it happening.

Treatment

Our dentists are able to assess the jaw joint and muscles surrounding it to detect any problems. They will also assess the way the teeth come together when you bite and check teeth wear. If any problems are found, treatment options will be discussed and you can decide which is best for you. The best thing is that early treatment prevents the detrimental effects of grinding.

If you have jaw pain, have noticed your teeth wearing down or think you may grind your teeth at night then it is best to consult a dentist to assess the situation and discuss treatment options.

For Jaw Joint Pain or Teeth Grinding services please contact any of our friendly Sunshine Coast and Brisbane dental practices in Caloundra, Kawana, Maroochydore, Bli Bli, North Lakes, Baringa, Sippy Downs, Tewantin, Murrumba Downs, Beerwah and Woolloongabba book on-line now, or feel free to call or email our wonderful reception teams.