Misaligned Teeth Can Cause TMJ/TMD

If you have teeth that are slightly misaligned but look “good enough” to you, you may wonder why you ought to visit our office in Western Massachusetts for braces or Invisalign. After all, if your teeth look fine, what’s the use of getting them fixed? What you may not know is that misalignment can be responsible for a variety of non-cosmetic problems.

Problems that can be caused by misaligned teeth include:

• Chronic jaw pain
• Frequent headaches or migraines
• Accelerated wear and tear on your teeth
• Limitations in how you can move your jaw
• Chronic clicking or popping in the jaw
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD)

This last issue is particularly serious. A hard-to-diagnose disorder that may require a variety of treatment options, TMD can plague patients for years before a neuromuscular dentist can find an effective treatment plan. Making sure that your upper and lower jaws are aligned reduces the chances of getting TMD symptoms like chronic headaches or limited jaw movement.

If you believe your teeth may have a small but significant misalignment, set up an appointment with the Western Massachusetts dentists at Baystate Dental today.