You just woke up with another splitting headache. You have had a headache every day this week, and you are absolutely done. Your neck hurts and your jaw grinds and crackles every time you chew. You had plans last night, but you had to cancel them, and now you are thinking of calling in sick. Even your fingers tingle. You pop some more ibuprofen and wait for the pain to simmer down a little. What else can you do?
It sounds like a strange idea, but if you suffer from recurring headaches, chronic pain in your jaw, face, neck or back; ringing in your ears or a variety of other symptoms that have no known cause, we think you should see a dentist. Why?
These problems may be caused by your jaw alignment and bite position!
Symptoms to Watch For:
• Headaches or migraines
• Stiffness or soreness in the neck, shoulders and back
• Facial pain
• Jaw pain
• Tingling or numbness in arms or fingers
• Sensitive teeth or loose teeth
• Clenching or grinding
• Dizziness
• Ear congestion
• Ringing in the ears
• Limited mouth opening
• Depression
• Insomnia
We hate to see anyone in pain, so we check our patients’ bites at every visit. We look for occlusal problems (how your teeth come together) and interference.
If we do discover that you or any member of your family is suffering from functional problems or TMD, we can treat you in a variety of ways. Most commonly we will offer you a bite splint to balance your bite and smooth the way to pain-free days.
In addition, every restoration is completed with your bite in mind as well, because we not only care about your comfort, but also about the longevity of your smile!
