Serving patients of Erwin, Jonesborough, and Greeneville TN
Do you get headaches often? While we all experience headaches from time to time, especially when overworked, stressed, or fatigued, chronic headaches are a sign of something more serious. Often times, physicians treat headaches through pain management, and while that may get you out of pain, for the time being, you’ll be left with headaches returning time and time again. If you are ready to kick those recurring headaches to the curb, find out how your Greeneville dentists can help.
Let’s first take a look at what causes headaches. While that is still a bit of a mystery, we do know that the trigeminal nerve, a prominent facial nerve running from the jaw joints to the spinal cord, has a lot to do with them. This major facial nerve can easily and quickly become compromised and inflamed when the jaws are out of alignment. While the alignment may not be visibly obvious, the most minute shift or change in your bite can aggravate this nerve, sending pain signals to the brain.
Think about the wheels on your vehicle. While a wheel misalignment may not always be visible just by looking at your car, there is no denying the difference it makes driving a vehicle with misaligned wheels versus one that has had an alignment. If your car ever has needed an alignment, and you ignored it, it probably didn’t take long before your car really started experiencing some issues from loud vibrations to worn wheels, and more. The same can be said for your jaw alignment. Ignoring it only leads to problems, and often pain as well.
What causes jaw misalignment?
You may not even remember or be able to pinpoint what exactly caused your jaw misalignment, also referred to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, but your dentist should. Jaw misalignment can happen as a result of dental restorations that are uneven (a filling or crown that is too high), a single missing tooth, misaligned teeth, a facial injury, or a joint deterioration disease, such as arthritis. During a consultation with our temporomandibular joint specialist in Greeneville, we can use specialized technology to diagnose the degree of which your bite is misaligned, and determine exactly how to fix it.
Solutions to TMJ Disorder
At Tusculum Dental Care, often find that our patients dealing with headaches related to TMJ disorder find relief from wearing a custom-made dental orthotic, also known as an oral appliance. The purpose of this specially made device is to reposition the jaw into proper alignment, which nearly immediately relieves compression of the trigeminal nerve. And, with that, comes headache relief.
Why is my dentist the best physician to diagnose and treat TMJ disorder?
Many primary healthcare providers just don’t deal with diagnosing disorders of the jaw or mouth. This is where your dentist comes in. As dentists, we understand the intricacy of the facial nerves, muscles, and blood vessels, and how they relate to the mouth, head, and neck. Therefore, a neuromuscular dentist is the best when you need relief from TMJ disorder or recurring headaches.
Headache Relief in Greeneville
If you are tired of dealing with recurring headaches or no longer want to rely on medication to provide relief, then schedule a consultation with Tusculum Dental Care by calling (423) 639-7575. We diagnose and treat TMJ disorder in Erwin, Jonesborough, and Greeneville, Tennessee.