You can’t freak out over every little pain you feel, especially not when you get older. That said, pain in your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) is not something you should ignore. This could be the early sign of TMJ disorder. If not treated, this condition can really impact your day.
That’s why you should call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515. Our dentists take an individualized approach to TMJ treatment so you get the care you need.
TMJ Disorder Signs
Your TMJ are the joints that control your jaw. You use your TMJ whenever you talk, chew, drink, or even laugh. That’s why TMJ disorder is such a big problem.
Some signs that you can have TMJ problems include the following:
- Jaw soreness
- Jaw pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Earaches
- Neck pain
- Odd noises when you use your jaw
If you have any of these symptoms, you should call Lakewood Dental Centre today to schedule an appointment. That’s because untreated TMJ disorder can get much worse than some jaw pain now and then. Here’s what a day with severe TMJ disorder could look like.
A Morning With Severe TMJ Disorder
The alarm goes off, but you’ve been awake for a while already. Pain in your neck and ears woke you up early after a night of restless sleep. You stumble into the kitchen to get some breakfast, but you remember how much it can hurt some days just to eat. So you just stick with some soggy cereal and a cup of coffee.
Even that hurts a bit, which starts to sour our mood even more. You drive to work, fight traffic, and finally get to your desk. You take a few pain relievers, as the typical pain in your shoulders and neck are starting to distract you.
You’re not getting all your tasks done because of that, so you start to stress out over your job. Unfortunately, this stress just makes your TMJ pain worse. Even with the pain relievers, you’re still distracted.
An Afternoon With Severe TMJ Disorder
Your lunch break finally arrives. Everyone is ordering out for lunch today, but you tell them no. You’ve learned the hard way that you shouldn’t waste money on food that could be too painful to chew. Instead, you snack on some yogurt and soup.
There’s a big meeting in the afternoon, but the pain and ringing in your ears make it hard to understand the presenter. You want to ask questions, but you fear looking like you weren’t paying attention. So you sit there and muddle through.
Eventually, it’s time to head home. Traffic is horrible at this time of day, and the stress makes the pain in your upper back and shoulders even worse. You have a bottle of pain relievers in your car for this very reason, so you dry swallow some.
An Evening With Severe TMJ Disorder
Finally, you are home. Instead of relaxing, you have to worry about dinner and the kids. They’re full of energy like always, but your fuse is short thanks to the pain and discomfort you’ve felt all day long. You snap at them and instantly regret it. Dinner is painful and awkward.
You’re exhausted from the day and from not getting enough sleep last night. Instead of playing with the kids or spending time with your spouse, you take some pain relievers and slink into bed. Between the neck pain and ringing in your ears, you doubt you’ll get enough sleep yet again.
TMJ Treatments
Again, that’s what a severe case of TMJ disorder can look like. But is that worth risking when visiting a dentist can help?
At our Winnipeg, MB dental office, you can get TMJ treatments to help relieve these problems (or prevent them from getting this bad). Our dentists individualize TMJ treatments to each patient. Such treatments can include a TENS unit to relax the jaw muscles as well as physiotherapy.
Call our Winnipeg dental office today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your appointment for TMJ treatment. Given how many problems TMJ disorder can cause in your life, getting that jaw stiffness checked out only makes sense.