Temporomandibular disorders

According to estimates, more than half of Finns suffer from symptoms of temporomandibular disorders. These symptoms can manifest themselves in children as well as in adults. What is common with all these symptoms is that they are often considered natural, and people don't look for the underlying causes early enough. The prevalence of temporomandibular disorders is caused by the fact that there is no longer enough work for our teeth. Chewing soft food, teeth are no longer worn down in the natural way. However, human teeth are designed to be steadily worn down. This is why we should eat many kinds of food, chew it properly on both sides of the mouth and avoid irregular chewing habits.

Quick help from a night guard

The first goal in treating temporomandibular disorders is to alleviate pain. This is achieved by relaxing muscles, using various forms of physical therapy - night guards, muscle exercises, warmth treatment, massage or medication that relaxes muscles. A night guard is a quick way of relaxing the muscles used in biting. A night guard is made out of acrylic plastic and manufactured to fit precisely to the teeth of either the upper or lower jaw. When you are biting your teeth together, the night guard responds evenly to the teeth of the opposing jaw. However, a night guard is not a final fix for temporomandibular disorders.

Occlusion adjustment

The actual correction of the bite is usually performed by grinding away small amounts out of the enamel and fillings, after which the lower jaw is in the right position in conjunction with the upper jaw, i.e. the teeth are being "worn down" evenly. In the grinding process, such a small amount of enamel is removed that the patient usually doesn't notice any difference to the earlier situation. The difference can, however, be felt in the jaw joints - and it is a positive change.

Orthodontics

Certainly, the most radical change can be achieved through orthodontics. During the growth period we can not only straighten teeth but also affect the proper growth ratios of the jaws. After reaching adulthood, this can only be achieved through surgery. On the other hand, orthodontics works for patients of all ages.

Prosthetic dentistry

Missing and extracted teeth can also cause temporomandibular disorders. Accordingly, changes in teeth should be replaced by either fixed or removable dentures, i.e. crowns, implants or partial or full dentures.

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