A Healthier Bite and Better Jaw With Orthodontics

There are several reasons why people need to have braces. Most people assume that it's so you can have that pearly white, perfectly straight smile that you see in movies and magazines. While a straight smile is a certainly a wonderful reason, braces do more for your mouth than just straighten your teeth. The most common reason for needs orthodontics is actually to improve one's bite, known as a malocclusion. If the malocclusion isn't treated, it can lead to several problems including TMJ.

TMJ, short for temporomandibular joint disorder, is not a health problem to take lightly. And I would know because I have this extremely discomforting and often painful joint disorder. Statistics show that as many as 10 million people are suffering from it as well and pain and discomfort vary from person to person. TMJ not only has to do with the alignment of the jaw itself, but also the muscles on either side which allow you to talk, chew, and open and close your mouth. TMJ can make all of these simple, everyday tasks painful ones.

The disorder generally causes a dull ache of the joint and the surrounding areas which include the ears, neck, and shoulders. Frequent headaches are also possible because of the strain and stress on the jaw. Symptoms of TMJ are pain and soreness of the jaw, clicking/popping noises when opening/closing the mouth, an earache, difficulty chewing, stiffness when talking/yawning/eating, jaw pain when chewing/yawning, and tension headaches.

TMJ and malocclusion can seem like a vicious cycle where one affects the other. The TMJ could be caused because your bite is off but subsequently your bite may be off because you developed TMJ from another source, such as grinding your teeth or even poor posture. Either way, it's a problem you don't want and it can interfere with the treatment provided by your orthodontist. If you're lucky enough not to suffer TMJ now, it's imperative that you visit your orthodontist to see if you do need braces. If so, this may prevent TMJ from developing. Unfortunately if you already suffer from it, braces and potentially a bite guard can make the problem better.

If only braces were just about gorgeous smiles, but they're not. A healthy mouth is a happy one and braces can prevent and fix many oral health problems. Talk to a dentist sooner rather than later to see if he thinks you'll need to make an appointment with an orthodontist. It can save you a lifetime of troubles and bring you one step closer to a better smile.

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