The position of your teeth and jaws can cause neck and head aches. You might not be aware of it, but that pain in your neck could be a result of the way your jaw lies.
The meeting of your upper and lower arches of teeth is known as your bite. If, when you bring your teeth together they don’t quite meet, there are gaps, or one arch protrudes over the other, this is known as malocclusion. This is the dental term for misaligned jaws.
As medical issues go, it may not seem like a big deal. However, it can cause problems with your teeth, gums, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and your facial muscles.
TMJ disorder can cause you to clench your jaw and grind your teeth at night. All kinds of issues can arise from this, including: migraine, neck pain, facial discomfort, clicking jaw, shoulder and even back pain.
If your teeth don’t bite together correctly, it can cause uneven wear on the biting and chewing surfaces, meaning that some teeth may wear out sooner than others. And teeth grinding can also cause uncommon wear and tear on the teeth.
If you have any of these symptoms and there seems to be no other cause, it’s worth talking to your dentist in Harley Street. They will be able to see if there is an issue with your bite, or if you are grinding your teeth.
It could be resolved by simply wearing a mouth guard at night to protect your teeth. If your teeth having been seriously ground down, your dentist in Harley Street may need to repair or restore them with a crown, white filling, inlay, onlay or dental implant.
Here at the Harley Street Dental Clinic, we also offer Cerezen, a remarkable new treatment for temporomandibular disorders such as teeth grinding. A small, custom-made insert is placed in each ear, providing pain relief in a comfortable and minimally-invasive way. Its unique design helps the jaw to maintain an open bite position, reducing clenching and therefore pain.
Drop into our dental clinic in London today and find out how our dentist in Harley Street can help relieve your aching jaw.