TMJ Disorder Untreated
TMJ disorder begins in the jaw, but its symptoms extend beyond the temporomandibular joints. Unfortunately, the longer you wait to address your TMD pain, the more likely significant symptoms will develop. Treating TMD discomfort involves a detailed understanding of the causes and formulating a customized treatment strategy that targets the source of your symptoms. Some of the repercussions of untreated TMJ disorder are listed below.
Joint Damage and Chronic Jaw Pain
You may experience intermittent jaw pain at first, but tension, chewing gum, or opening your mouth too wide will make it worse. The temporomandibular joint suffers from wear and tear over time, resulting in chronic discomfort and other symptoms like jaw cracking, popping, and locking. Pain may spread from your joints to your face, neck, and shoulders due to discomfort and inflammation. To avoid jaw dislocation or permanent joint injury, it’s critical to adopt a proactive approach to TMD pain.
Oral Health in Jeopardy
Teeth grinding and jaw clenching are linked to untreated TMD, which wear away your tooth enamel over time and expose your teeth to fractures. TMJ disorder can also cause abnormal tooth wear, asymmetrical muscle growth, and unequal facial swelling. Since one generally favors one jaw side over the other, TMD may also have an impact on your facial appearance.
Headaches
Tension headaches and migraines are the most common symptoms of TMJ disorder. Because severe headaches are caused by ongoing joint inflammation, they can be debilitating and chronic. Ultimately, the headache returns as soon as the pain killers or muscle relaxants wear off because you never cured the underlying reason. Chronic headaches can keep you from going to work, school, or even missing crucial occasions in your life.
Hearing Issues
Patients frequently have TMD symptoms in their ears because the temporomandibular joints are close to the ear canals. If one does not address TMD, it can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears), making it difficult to sleep, focus, and feelings of fullness or stuffiness in the canals. Because the body’s sense of balance lies in the inner ears, TMD-related muscular inflammation can impact balance, causing dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness.
Other Signs and Symptoms
TMD can create a slew of problems throughout your body due to the stress and pain it causes. Patients with untreated TMJ disorder may have numbness or tingling in their hands and fingers, have one shoulder higher than the other, or notice that their heads are tilted to the side while looking in the mirror or photographs.
Contact Dr. Pollock Today!
Do you currently suffer from a TMJ disorder? Our team at Rockwall Oral Surgery is available to treat patients who have complications from TMJ. We recommend booking an appointment with Dr. Pollock at Rockwall Oral Surgery for more information about treatments and their benefits. To contact the office, individuals can reach us at (469) 264-8921 or via email at info@dentalimplantsurgery.com.
