Bruxism and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) are disorders that affect your oral health. People who suffer from bruxism and TMJ will often grind their teeth while they sleep causing severe damage to their jaw joints and teeth. TMJ is triggered by several factors that can cause flare-ups but the real question people want to know is, does TMJ go away?
The Signs of TMJ
Teeth grinding may be called a few things including bruxism and TMJ but they both mean the same. When you sleep, your mind subconsciously unpacks all the emotions and stress throughout your day. If you’ve been stressed out or have extra anxiety lately, you’re at a greater risk to grind your teeth. Your body deals with this extra stress and releases it in unhealthy ways including grinding and clenching.
People who grind and clench their teeth at night will experience numerous side effects. Waking out with daily morning headaches is a sign that you may be suffering from TMJ. When you grind your teeth the muscles in your jaw are worn out and become tired. This stress is then transferred to other regions around your face including your head which result in headaches when you wake.
Does TMJ go away? It can, but you need to look for the signs of it first. Aside from daily morning headaches, you may suffer from extra sensitive teeth. After intense grinding sessions, your teeth may become worn down. When this happens they may become cracked or chipped which can potentially expose nerves. If you have extra sensitivity to hot or cold liquids/foods that you previously didn’t experience, you may have been grinding your teeth.
The last red flag you should look for to determine if you have bruxism is hearing it. Teeth grinding sounds like a “clicking” or “popping” noise coming from your mouth while you sleep. Have your partner listen to these noises as they can be faint. These sounds may come in waves or come and go. Once you hear it, you’ll know exactly what it is. Sometimes these noises can even creep into your dreams so if you continue to dream with popping and clicking sounds, you may be grinding your teeth while you dream!
Now that you know the signs of bruxism, we can discuss the question of does TMJ go away. There are a few ways to make TMJ go away starting with having your dentist inspect your bite and teeth. Some people have overbites or underbites that will change the way their teeth rest. If your bite is unaligned it may increase your chances of teeth grinding as you sleep. Your dentist may be able to fix your bite resulting in TMJ going away.
You may also want to watch what you ingest for food and drinks as they can play a part in your oral health and teeth grinding. Lots of caffeine or alcohol may increase the risk of teeth grinding because those ingredients affect the nervous system. When your brain can’t rest, it finds others outlets to exert energy including clenching your jaw. This can damage your teeth and jaw muscles. If you suffer from bruxism don’t drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages six hours before bed.
While getting a dental examination and watching what you eat may help your chances of lowering TMJ, they are not certain to make TMJ go away. That’s why people who suffer from bruxism will need to wear a custom night guard to prevent damage from teeth grinding. Your dentist may craft you one but it can be a costly bill.
SportingSmiles has been in business since 2009 crafting premium custom night guards. Our dental lab can craft you one of six night guards depending on the severity of clenching or grinding. Does TMJ go away? Yes, it can but you’ll be protected if it doesn’t with a night guard.
By ordering the patented impression kit from SportingSmiles, you’ll take easy impressions and then ship them back to the lab with free 3-way shipping. Our lab will craft a premium night guard for you and ship it back to you so you can sleep peacefully and protected at night. Bruxism is a dangerous oral habit that can destroy your teeth. Don’t wait for that to happen. Prevent with a custom night guard that you’ll receive all from the comfort of your home.
