Bax Dental : Dental Clinic Macclesfield Cheshire

Dental Examination
Hygienist Treatment & Fresh Breath Clinic
Cosmetic Dentistry
Jaw Problems & Headaches
Orthodontic Treatment

Anyone with persistent headaches should be examined by a dental expert.

The joint between your jaws, just in front of your ears, is called the temporomandibular joint, but is known as ‘TMJ’ for short. Cartilage separates the surfaces of bone. The jaw joints can sometimes cause problems, however, the dentist can help treat these problems.

What are the symptoms?

• Clicking noises when you move your jaw

• Opening/ closing of the mouth difficulties

• Swelling or soreness over the joint

• Pains in the face, neck or chewing muscles. In some people pain in the shoulders and back can occur

• Headaches or migraines, particularly when you first wake up

• Earache, possibly with ringing of the ears too

Clicking or grating noise problems can be solved by:

• Cutting up food into smaller pieces

• Avoiding particularly chewy or hard foods

• Avoiding opening your mouth too wide, particularly when yawning

Joint pain is usually due to the increased tension on the jaw muscles. Things that cause this include:

• Grinding and clenching teeth

• Habits such as chewing on a pen or biting your nails regularly

The above habits are often caused by fatigue and anxiety. Painkillers can relieve the problems on a short-term basis, but to solve the problems you can try:

• Using relaxation techniques (see Hypnosis & Relaxation section)

• Giving up the habits above (pen chewing etc)

• Wearing a ‘biteguard’ during the night to lessen the grinding of the teeth in your sleep

*Information courtesy of the British Dental Association and Smiles r us.

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