Is Your Jaw Pain More Than Just Stress? Understanding TMJ Disorder

If you deal with jaw pain, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans report experiencing this kind of discomfort. Since so many of us are stressed, you might chalk that pain up to nothing more than your tension. 

That could absolutely be part of it. Anxious feelings can cause you to clench your jaw, straining the muscles there and causing that discomfort. But soothing that pain might not be as simple as finding ways to release stress. In some cases, jaw clenching can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). 

If you’re having jaw pain, see Nisha Modi, DMD, and our Miracle Smile Dental team in Aubrey, Texas. Dr. Modi can evaluate your mouth for signs of TMJ. Then, she uses preventive dentistry care to help you where appropriate, preventing complications like teeth grinding. 

Identifying TMJ

You develop temporomandibular joint disorder when one or both of the joints that hinge your jaw run into trouble. 

Stress-related jaw clenching causes pain, such as soreness in your jaw or teeth. TMJ comes with some additional symptoms. Watch for these things to start getting a feel for what’s affecting you:

• Trouble chewing, including pain while you chew
• Aching pain that affects your whole face
• Your jaw joint is getting locked up
• Headaches
• Eye pain
• Earaches
• Clicking or grinding when you move your jaw
• Pain in your neck and shoulders

If any of those sound familiar, you might be dealing with more than just a symptom of stress. 

Addressing TMJ

Here at Miracle Smile Dental, Dr. Modi can evaluate you for common causes of TMJ, including a misaligned bite and teeth grinding. By reviewing how your teeth fit together and the wear patterns on your teeth, she helps you get a better idea of whether or not you have this disorder. 

In some cases, aligning your bite can reduce stress on your jaw, soothing the pain. Dr. Modi can explore options like Invisalign® if misalignment could be to blame for your TMJ.

Other times, teeth grinding stresses the temporomandibular joint. Dr. Modi offers therapy for bruxism (teeth grinding) to help.

You might need care from other providers to get relief. Some people require physical therapy or injections to soothe their TMJ pain. Dr. Modi can help you address any dental factors at play, making other treatments you pursue more effective.

If you think you might have TMJ, don’t dismiss the pain. To have Dr. Modi evaluate you for common TMJ risk factors, use our convenient online tool to book your appointment or contact us at 469-765-3567 today.