Taking a Bite out of Jaw Disorders

The health of your teeth is strongly influenced by the health of your jaw bone. Tooth and gum problems, left unchecked, can disastrously affect your jaw, and vice versa. This is why our Bellevue dentistry wants you to be on the lookout for the warning signs of Temporomandibular Disorders also known as TMD. Such warning signs include the following:

• Pain or a tender feeling in the jaw joint, face, neck, or shoulders, particularly when you are moving your jaw.
• If you grind your teeth, this may represent either a cause or a symptom of a TMD.
• Trouble opening your jaw to its limit.
• Jaws that lock into position.
• Clicking, popping, or grating in the jaw when you open and close your mouth.
• Tired facial muscles.
• Changes in the way your teeth fit together.
• Swelling on either side of the face.
• Dizziness.
• Toothaches.
• Headaches.
• Earaches, tinnitus, or other hearing problems.

If you think that you might have a problem with your TMJ, consult your dentist right away.