YouÂ’re sitting in the newest trendy restaurant in Vancouver, enjoying your meal with that certain, special someone, when you start to notice that it hurts to chew. In fact, it hurts when you talk as well. And every time you open your mouth, you hear popping or clicking sounds. You canÂ’t open your mouth wide and your jaw feels like itÂ’s locked in position and you canÂ’t move it.rnrnAll of those are symptoms of something called TMJ, or Temporal Mandibular Joint Disorder. Dentists arenÂ’t 100% sure what causes TMJ, but they believe that itÂ’s caused by problems with the muscles of the jaw or with parts of the joint. For example, if you injure your jaw, or if you grind your teeth, that may cause TMJ.rnrnBut they do know how to treat it. In many cases, changing your diet to softer foods, massaging your jaw muscles, and keeping your muscles relaxed may be enough to take care of the problem.rnrnHowever, a trip to an orthodontist may be required if the pain just wonÂ’t go away. Your dentist will send you to an orthodontics practice with the recommendation of getting an occlusal splint.rnrnThis splint, or a night guard, is a [link url=https://www.bhicksortho.com/treatments-appliances.php/]clear plastic appliance[/link] that will help keep you from grinding your teeth and can help you keep your jaw muscles relaxed. It will also help keep your jaw joints in a more relaxed position, which can also help relieve TMJ.rnrnSo if youÂ’re suffering from any of these symptoms and wondering whatÂ’s wrong with your jaw, going to see your dentist is the way to start. TMJ is far more common than people think and with a little bit of treatment, or maybe a trip to a good orthodontist, youÂ’ll be on your way to feeling better.rn
