…And so can about a dozen or so other symptoms
TMD can be hard to diagnose because there are literally more than a dozen symptoms. If you are suffering from a combination of symptoms, you might be suffering from TMD. But the symptoms can be so commonplace that you might not even think your jaw is causing the problems.
A new study has shown that toothache causes TMD pain. The title of the report is misleading. It’s not just simply that toothache causes TMD pain (because people already knew that was one of the symptoms), it’s to do specifically with pain itself.
The Study Explains Some Of The Difficulty In Diagnosing TMD
The study discusses trigger points that are muscles where the problem is located, only the pain isn’t felt there. It’s usually felt somewhere else. This can also be likened to deferred pain: the problem is somewhere other than where the pain is being felt.
The report is talking about toothache as a sign of pain somewhere in the jaw; it cites a report from 2011 that estimates that more than half a million root canal therapies are performed each year where the tooth isn’t actually the source of the problem.
So when the report says that toothache can cause TMD pain is shocking news, it’s more about deferred pain and trigger points than the toothache itself—but the title does attract people’s attention.
Your Oral Health Affects More Than Just Your Teeth and Gums
It should also get people thinking—how well do you understand your oral health? If you suffer from toothaches you should see your dentist: your oral health isn’t just about your mouth. Your oral health is closely tied into your overall health.
For example, inflammation and bacteria in the mouth can travel through the rest of your body causing various severe problems. Some of these problems include:
- Cardiovascular disease/heart attacks
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
- Cancer
Looking after your oral health is important. However, equally important is understanding the role the dentist can play in helping you stay healthy. An Excellence in Dentistry dentist is trained to identify and treat conditions like TMD. So if you are suffering toothaches, headaches and or jaw pain you need to visit our Brisbane dental practice.
TMD and How Excellence in Dentistry Can Help You
TMD stands for temporomandibular disorder and is a common but debilitating problem in which the jaw is misaligned. Does your jaw pop, click, grind—does your jaw cause you pain? You could be suffering from TMD!
As previously mentioned there are a dozen or so possible symptoms that together can be the result of a misaligned jaw. Some of those symptoms are:
- Migraines and headaches
- Neck, back and shoulder pain
- Locking of the jaw
- Soreness around the jaw and face
- Vertigo
- Dizziness
- Trouble opening and closing the mouth
- Clicking, grinding popping of the jaw
- Dental disease (like gum disease)
If you experience any of these symptoms we recommend you visit Excellence in Dentistry where we can give you the help you need. How we treat your TMD will depend on what symptoms you are suffering from.
If you would like more information on our treatment for jaw pain, contact us.
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