Oral Health: Don't Ignore Your GumsOral Health: Don't Ignore Your Gums

About Me

Oral Health: Don't Ignore Your Gums

When you go to your dentist, you are likely concerned about cavities and the stains on your teeth. If you are like me, then you probably never thought much about your gums. Unfortunately, this caused me to form a serious gum recession condition. My dentist said that hard brushing practices, poor flossing techniques, and even the consumption of sugary foods led to the recession. After some deep scaling treatments, I was informed that I needed a gum graft procedure. The gums are extremely important to your health. They provide your teeth with the nutrients they need and they protect the sensitive dental roots. The gums even keep bacteria away from your jaw bone. Don't ignore your gums like I did. Read my blog and learn about proper oral care techniques. Prevention practices can easily save your gums from necessary restoration.

Why Braces May Help Relieve Your TMJ

22 November 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a very common problem that causes a lot of pain and discomfort in the jaw, head, and neck. If you have TMJ, you are probably well aware of the symptoms, and you might want to find out what you can do about it. There are multiple things you can do to treat this problem, and getting braces is one of the options. The following will give more information about TMJ and its treatments.

What it is

The first thing to understand when it comes to treating TMJ is what it really is. The joint in your jaw that connects the jaw to the skull is the joint affected by this disorder. This is the joint you can feel in front of your ears if you open and close your mouth. This joint can become inflamed, which can cause TMJ, or it can become irritated or stressed if your upper and lower jawbones are not in proper alignment.

TMJ can make your face sore and can lead to headaches. It can also cause pain in your ears and can make it difficult to open your mouth wide. If you have this and do not want to live with this type of pain for the rest of your life, you may want to visit an orthodontist for help.

How it can be treated

There are several ways TMJ can be treated, and one of the options is through braces. Braces are often used to straighten and align teeth, but this is not the only purpose they serve. The other key purpose of braces is to place the jaw in proper alignment. If your TMJ is due to a problem with the alignment of your jaw, braces might be a great solution for your problem.

When braces are used for this purpose, the orthodontist will create a plan to move the upper or lower jaw. This is typically accomplished with the use of rubber bands on the braces. Small rubber bands are used to connect the brackets on the upper jaw to the lower jaw in a way that makes the jaw move the way it needs to. The end result is a properly aligned jawbone, and the benefit of this is that it should relieve the pressure you had once felt with your TMJ.

If you would like to find out if braces can help your TMJ, visit a family dentist like All About Smiles for a consultation appointment. If braces are not a good solution, a dentist might be able to help you find a solution that is better.