Dental Problems

TMJ Dysfunction and Achey Jaw

TMJ dysfunction encompases disorders that affect the temporomandibular  joint and the associated muscles that control jaw movement. The temporomandibular joint is situated on either side of your head just in front of your ears. This joint allows you to talk, chew and yawn.

Symptoms associated with TMJ disorders may be:

• Biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort

• Clicking, popping, or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth

• Dull, aching pain in the face

• Earache

• Headache

• Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw

• Reduced ability to open or close the mouth

For many people TMJ dysfunction does not signal a serious problem. In many cases discomfort will be is mild and occurs only at stressful times of ones life. The pain can go away with little of no treatment. However some people develop acute short term or significant long term symptoms. Generally conservative and reversible treatment options are utilised first. These do not cause permanent changes in the structure or position of the jaw or teeth.

Tooth Grinding and cleanching

Tooth Grinding and cleanching can affect both children and adults and is often associated with a number of signs and symptoms. It is thought to be influenced by external factors such as stress, certain medications, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and various medical conditions.

Symptoms which may arise incluse jaw pain, headaches, sensitive teeth, fractured teeth / fillings, increased jaw clicking or locking. There is often evidence of excessive tooth wear, fractured restorations or teeth, TMJ tenderness, jaw muscle tenderness or well defined jaw muscles. Sufferers may complain of poor sleep quality. Partners may complain of poor sleep quality due to the loud noises generated during aggressive tooth grinding.

Treatemtn is usually managed with a jaw splint.
Generally this is a hard device that covers all of the teeth either on the top or bottom jaw and will fit evenly against the teeth in the opposing jaw as outlined. If there is pronounced daytime clenching and grinding activity, it needs to be managed with behavioural modalities often incorporating jaw physiotherapy and relaxation strategies. For optimum results a structured and tailored programme needs to be designed for the patient to counteract both daytime and night time bruxism.

Snoring & Sleep Apnoea

Almost 50% of the population snore. It can disrupt marriages and cause sleepless nights for bed partners. Snoring can get worse when the muscles in the back of the throat are too relaxed either from drugs that induce sleep or alcohol consumption. It is often the precursor of obstructive sleep apnoea, which is linked with heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Sleep apneoa usually interrupts loud snoring with a period of silence in which no air passes into the lungs, eventually the lack of oxygen and the increase carbon dioxide will awaken you forcing the airway to open with a loud gasp.

Snoring occurs when there is a partial obstruction to the free flow of air through the mouth and nose. The sound occurs when soft tissue structures in the throat vibrate as air passes over them. Custom oral appliances can reduce and often totally eliminate a patients snoring. They work by bringing the lower jaw into a slighly more forward position. This allows air to flow freely without impedeing on soft tissue, hence resolving the snoring.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth means you don't have enough saliva, to keep your mouth moist. Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while, especially if you're nervous, upset or under stress. But if you have a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable. That's because saliva does more than just keep the mouth wet —it helps digest food, protects teeth from decay, prevents infection by controlling bacteria in the mouth, and makes it possible for you to chew and swallow.