3 Facts About Malocclusion

Malocclusions are problems with the jaw. This can create anything from minimal pain or no pain to extreme pain depending on the type of malocclusion you have. There are a variety of causes of malocclusion including childhood trauma or sucking your thumb for a longer period of time as a kid, or severe injury that caused misalignment of your jaw.  Here are 3 facts about malocclusions you may not know.

1.     No amount of jaw pain is normal. You may think your pain is minimal and therefore is acceptable, but this is not the case. Living with malocclusion may seem minor at first, but can lead to more severe pain and problems later on.

2.     There are 3 different categories of malocclusion. The first type is the most common and usually does not cause pain. This is a situation when you smile, your front teeth overlap your bottom teeth. The 2 class is more severe and this occurs when your upper teeth severely overlap your bottom jaw and teeth.  The 3^rd is when the lower jaw juts forward, causing the lower jaw and teeth to overlap.

3.     There are a variety of symptoms of malocclusion including pain, speech difficulties, mouth breathing and abnormal appearance of the face.

Dr. Strutz and her office can provide you with information on how severe your malocclusion is and options to allow you to live your life free of jaw pain.

(TMD)-How It Impacts Your Health

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Dizziness, headaches, jaw pain, earaches, neck, shoulder, and back pain are just a few of the problems you may experience if your teeth are misaligned. You may also struggle to open up your mouth wide, hear a clicking and/or a popping noise when eating or talking.  You may have had these problems for a few days or a few years. Don’t rush off to see a chiropractor or a doctor, however, because they may be unable to help fix the main problem.

The temporomandibular joint holds the lower jaw in place.  If it is not in the right place, the jaw will realign itself in order to adjust and attempt to make it more comfortable. When you do this, it makes the problem worse not better. TMD may be caused by an injury to your jaw, misalignment or arthritis. Extreme stress can cause TMD to flare up due to clenching the jaw when stressed or lifting heavy items.

There are multiple treatment options and, according to Dr. Judy Strutz, “You will want to visit someone who is knowledgeable about different types of occlusion problems. TMD does not go away on its own and it is important to get the right information. It can be difficult to diagnosis and treat.” This is why it is important to visit the dentist. If you have a problem with how your teeth are aligned, the dentist may adjust the teeth or bite to fit better. They may also recommend ibuprofen or another pain reliever to help you relax.

Whatever the treatment is, Dr. Judy Strutz suggests, “Your dentist should do a thorough and complete exam to find the source of your problem.”