Health

Different Types Of Jaw Misalignment Problems – Know How You Can Correct It

Most people will overlook jaw points (called TMJ or temporomandibular joint) until they suffer from some jaw-related problems. Similar to misaligned teeth, jaw alignment issues like malocclusion, jaw popping, dislocated jaw, and more cause serious side effects.

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The following are a few jaw misalignment problems that help you in taking the right treatment. Let us know about them in detail:

  1. Malocclusion

The most important thing often unappreciated is the ability of the lower and upper jaw to support a proper bite. If the bit is not aligned perfectly, then it is called malocclusion. It causes various problems like overbite, underbite, overjet, or biting down. Also, leads to health issues, including:

  • Sleep apnea
  • Pain
  • TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder)
  • Difficulty to speak or chew
  • Cosmetic problems

Causes

  • An injury to the mouth, head, or face
  • Congenital condition (birth issue)
  • Developmental problems

Treatment for crooked jaw

The right solution for jaw alignment problems differs depending on its severity and presentation. Your dental healthcare provider will suggest some treatment options to correct the jaw misalignment. They are:

  • Headgear braces – helps to adjust jaw with braces supplementing by straps
  • Braces – helps to adjust the bite by keeping pressure with brackets, which are bonded to the teeth as well as attached to archwires
  • Upper jaw expander – helps to correct overbite with wireframe, which fits diagonally to the mouth palate and extends it
  • Reverse pull face mask – helps to fix underbite issues with braces, which are fixed to the upper back teeth supplementing with straps

Cosmetic dentistry

It is the best option for people struggling with mild symptoms and who want to improve their appearance. This procedure doesn’t fix the underlying problem but can help to make you feel better regarding your smile.

Surgery

For people with severe symptoms, a dental expert will recommend jaw surgery. In this procedure, the lower or upper jaw is repositioned or adjusted by combining with orthodontic corrections like braces.

  • TMD/TMJ

TMJ refers to both disorders and joints. This disorder is referred to as TMJ and TMD. According to studies, about 10 million people in America struggle with jaw joint dysfunction. This condition causes other problems like facial swelling, tingling extremities, shoulder pain, and more. The following are a few side effects of this condition:

  • The problem in using jawline
  • Pain to open and close the mouth
  • Migraines or headache
  • Grinding, popping, or clicking sound in the jaw
  • Teeth grinding at night

The treatment for misaligned jaws depends on the cause, the severity of the condition, cosmetic concerns, and health history of the patient. If the symptoms are absent or mild, then there is no need to take treatment.

Causes

  • Stress
  • Dental misalignment
  • Injuries like a blow to your face or head trauma

Symptoms

TMJ affects the overall health of the person. The most common symptoms are:

  • Migraines or chronic headaches
  • Difficulty to sleep
  • Abnormal tooth wear

Symptoms of severe cases

  • Tinnitus
  • Vertigo

Treatment for TMD

These days, you can find non-surgical treatment plans to reduce the pain associated with TMD. Your dental care doctor may recommend a few tests depending on your symptoms, including range of motion assessment, bite force analysis, and trigger point evaluation.

After these tests, your orthodontist 4S Ranch will provide different treatment methods to alleviate migraine disorder and TMD and reduce the symptoms.

  • Cold laser
  • Trigger point manipulation techniques
  • Microcurrent
  • Ultrasound
  • Jaw popping

Jaw popping is one of the painful conditions caused due to TMJ (temporomandibular joints) dysfunction. They connect the skull and the jawbone with only one joint over each side. The TMJ action is responsible for various activities like chewing, yawning, and talking. Popping will occur when there is some problem in the working of the TMJ. So, it’s ideal to get the right treatment from an experienced dental care professional before the problem becomes worse.

Causes

  • Frequent chewing of gum
  • Grinding teeth
  • Clenching
  • Biting fingernails
  • Biting cheeks or lips
  • Thrusting jaw out

Performing the above-stated activities can damage the joints and lead to erosion. Although there is no need to worry about jaw popping, few of them require medical attention. Arthritis, MPS (Myofascial pain syndrome), sleep apnea, and others are a few causes that need medical help.

Treatment for jaw popping

Your orthodontist may recommend a few at-home remedies to reduce the condition, such as:

  • Applying moist heat or ice pack to your jaw
  • Having only soft foods
  • Taking medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, muscle relaxants, and antidepressants
  • Practicing TMJ-specific exercises
  • Making use of a splint or night guard

Also, your orthodontist may recommend you to undergo treatments like

  • Ultrasound
  • Corrective dental treatment methods
  • TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
  • Therapies like a radio wave

To fix the jaw misalignment problem and get rid of its symptoms, choose the best dental care clinic that provides the best braces 4S Ranch, and book your appointment today.