Category: TMJ

Don’t Let That Blank Space in Your Mouth Fool You

So, you had teeth extracted and/or are missing a few teeth? No big deal, right? Do not fool yourself! There are plenty of issues that come with missing teeth in Vicksburg, MS. You lose the confidence in your smile, you can’t chew the foods you use to enjoy, and so much more. Beyond these though, there are also adverse health effects to missing teeth.

 

What Happens When We Are Missing Teeth?

From gum disease to infection, there are several reasons why you should consider replacement of your missing teeth!

In many cases, the gums where the tooth used to be will get infected which will cause inflammation. This is known as gingivitis, commonly referred to as gum disease. Gingivitis can cause your gums to bleed when you floss, changes in your bite line, pain when chewing, pus to form between the gums and teeth, and other symptoms. This, of course, makes day-to-day life more difficult as the pain from chewing causes great amounts of anxiety about eating and can cause other teeth to loosen or fall out.

Another problem that may occur is weakness in your jaw and other teeth. Other teeth surrounding the missing one have to work harder to chew due to the lack of teeth and can cause jaw pain, weakness, and in some cases temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD). Your TMJ attaches your lower jawbone to the rest of your skull and when it is being worked on one side more heavily, it can cause disorders to form which will result in pain when chewing and many other issues.

 

Fill Those Gaps

To avoid these diseases and others that are caused by the loss of teeth, consider calling us at (601) 707-8020. Contact our office by Jackson, MS to schedule an appointment with our doctors, Drs. Kenneth and Jonathan Nash, so we can give you our options to fill in that missing tooth! With years of experience in supporting those like you, we will work with you to find the best treatment option to fit your unique situation. We look forward to helping you!

 

References

Gum Disease (Gingivitis and Periodontitis), Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/gingivitis

TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) Disorders, Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/tmj-disorders

5 Reasons You Need to Replace Missing Teeth

If you are one of the 40 million Americans that has at least one missing tooth, it’s important that you know that it’s not just aesthetic challenges you face. Most dislike the way the mouth looks with missing teeth, but there may be other, larger health risks that come with not replacing your teeth.

 

1. Shifting Teeth

Each tooth works as a placeholder to keep the other teeth around it in place. Once a tooth is missing, the others can shift over time and misalign your bite. If you once had a straight smile, you may quickly notice that your teeth are out of alignment. When you lose teeth, it’s important to replace them quickly so the others don’t shift.

2. Oral Health Care

Caring for your gums and teeth are so important to your overall health. Once the teeth shift and move out of alignment, it can be harder to reach certain areas to floss or brush. If bacteria and plaque are left on the teeth, you may quickly develop periodontal disease. This can lead to more lost teeth over time.

3. TMJ

If the upper and lower jaw don’t meet when you bite down, you may deal with problems with the temporomandibular joint in the jaw. As teeth shift out of alignment over a period, you may notice jaw pain, headaches, clicking noises and the inability to open your jaw all the way.

4. Bone Loss

The tooth’s root is secured in the jawbone and stimulates it to grow and regenerate bone. When the root is gone, the bone can crumble and die. Fortunately, dental implants are placed directly in the jaw, so bone loss is minimal when teeth are replaced quickly.

5. Confidence

If you have missing teeth, it’s easy to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable in both your personal and professional life.

 

Contact Us

If you are interested in receiving dental implants, contact our office by Jackson, MS to schedule an appointment with our doctors, Drs. Kenneth and Jonathan Nash, by calling our new patient line at (601) 707-8020. We can work together to determine whether you are a good candidate for implants!

How to Treat TMJ

Temporomandibular joints, also commonly referred to as TMJ are some of the joint muscles located near the ear, at the point where your jawbone meets your skull. The TMJ is the joint used to open and shut your mouth, heavily used while eating or speaking. So when this joint in particular begins to relentlessly ache and cause massive pain, it becomes a serious issue.

You should seek dental help as soon as you begin experiencing pain in your TMJ, especially if it is reoccurring. The reason for this overwhelming discomfort may be you experiencing a TMJ disorder. This pain can be caused from a number of reasons, most common arthritis, grinding your teeth, or dislocation.

When you go to a doctor, they will perform a series of tests on you to ensure they treat the correct disorder. These are test you can also perform on yourself at home before seeking treatment. This will make sure you are describing the proper symptoms. The tests you as well as your doctor will perform are basic, but they do the trick. When they are making sure it is in fact the TMJ you are suffering from, they will see if your jaw has any swelling or tenderness. Another test you may go through is seeing if the jaw is making a clicking noise when it is moved. After a few rounds of different checks, your doctor may diagnose you with TMJ disorder.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, and have been diagnosed, treatments you may be advised to follow include:

  1. Exercising the jaw muscles
  2. A night guard to stop grinding your teeth
  3. Or even muscle relaxers

If these treatments aren’t the proper solution for you, your dentist then may need to do a jaw adjustment or reshape your teeth for the proper bite. A night guard may also be something in need, so you stop grinding your teeth. See your dental professional if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms. Schedule a consultation as soon as you can if you are experiencing any discomfort in the jaw.