Q What is dental
occlusion?
A Dental occlusion is another
name for the way your teeth meet when your
jaws bite together.
Q What is TMJ?
A The letters TMJ are short
for of 'temporo-mandibular joint', which
is the joint connecting your lower jaw and
your skull. The movement in this joint lets
you open and close your mouth and chew from
side to side.
Q What kind of
problems might I have?
A If your teeth don't fit together properly, you
can have problems not only in your teeth themselves, but also the
gums, the temporo-mandibular joint or the muscles that move your
jaw. These problems are called 'occlusal' problems.
Teeth
Teeth that are out of line, heavily worn or constantly breaking, fillings
that fracture or crowns that work loose may all be signs of occlusal problems.
Your teeth may also be tender to bite on or may ache constantly.
Gums
Loose teeth or receding gums can be made worse by a faulty bite.
TMJ
Clicking, grinding or pain in your jaw joints, ringing or buzzing in your
ears and difficulty in opening or closing your mouth could all be due to
your teeth not meeting each other properly.
Muscles
If your jaw is in the wrong position, the muscles that move the jaw have
to work a lot harder and can get tired. This leads to muscle spasm. The
main symptoms are continual headaches or migraine, especially first thing
in the morning; pain behind your eyes; sinus pain and pains in your neck
and shoulders. Sometimes even back muscles are involved.
Q How can I tell if I have a problem?
A You may
find that you clench or grind your teeth, although
most people who do aren't aware of it. Sometimes
can be caused by anxiety, but generally most
people clench their teeth when they are concentrating
on a task - housework, gardening, car mechanics,
typing and so on.
You may wake up in the morning
with a stiff jaw or tenderness when you bite
together. This could be due to clenching or
grinding your teeth in your sleep. Most people
who grind their teeth do it while they are
asleep and may not know they are doing it.
If you suffer from severe
headaches, or neck and shoulder pain, you may
not have linked this with possible jaw problems.
Or you may keep having pain or discomfort on
the side of your face around your ears or jaw
joints or difficulty in moving your jaw. These
are all symptoms of TMJ problems.
If you are missing some teeth
at the back of your mouth, this may lead to
an unbalanced bite, which can cause uneven
pressure on your teeth.
Together, all these symptoms
are called 'TMJ syndrome'.
