Misaligned bites and damaged teeth are incredibly common causes of pain for millions. But did you know that those two are both underlying causes of pain for other issues? Piercing headaches, neck tension, and poor sleep quality can all stem from your oral health.
But how exactly are all these body parts connected? And how can that local mouth reconstruction surgeon fix misaligned bites and restore teeth? The answers might surprise you.
Problems with the TMJ Can Necessitate Mouth Reconstruction Surgery
The pain you experience in your mouth easily radiates to other areas because of a special part of our jaws called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Sure, it’s a mouthful to say, but it plays a vital role. It’s kind of like a hinge that connects the jawbone to the skull. That hinge enables us to perform essential functions like chewing, eating, speaking, and more. Anything that involves moving our jaws? We can do that thanks to the TMJ.
Surgeons who specialize in full mouth reconstructions will tell you how important it is. If the TMJ experiences consistent strain and stress, it’s going to cause problems for the areas that connect with it. For example, a misaligned bite causes your jaw muscles to work overtime. That muscle fatigue then causes dull headaches and migraines because they’re all connected by that joint.
Tension in the Jaw and Mouth Contributes to Other Issues Too
There are plenty of other issues that could indicate a visit with a specialist who deals in rebuilding structures of the mouth is in someone’s future. The following common ailments could possibly be contributed to misaligned bites and jaw tension:
- Neck and shoulder tension: sufferers of stiff, knotted necks and shoulders might be able to blame their pain on strain in other areas. A tense, tired jaw radiates that pain down into the neck and upper shoulders.
- Breathing issues: believe it or not, a misaligned bite could actually be the reason behind your sleep apnea. If the jaw is misaligned, the tongue isn’t held in place properly and causes it to fall backwards into the mouth, blocking airways.
Strained TMJs and fatigued jaw muscles from misaligned bites causes a plethora of issues in the surrounding areas if it’s not treated. Dental surgeons who perform mouth reconstruction are trained on the entire facial anatomy and are adept at repairing joints and fixing bites.
How Does Mouth Reconstruction Surgery Fix the Issues?
Full mouth reconstruction operations performed by a dental surgeon takes a holistic approach to oral surgery. It’s a fully comprehensive operation that improves not only the function of the jaw and mouth, but also its aesthetic.
The oral surgeon rebuilds affected teeth down to the details to ensure that patients leave with a bite that’s stable, pain-free, and alleviates secondary symptoms. Once the bite is improved, the tension put on the TMJ begins to ease up. They’ll typically use effective tooth replacement options like crowns, veneers, and implants for the mouth reconstruction surgery.
Once the surgery is complete, patients start to notice improved symptoms, including:
- Reduced headaches
- Less neck and jaw pain
- Better sleep quality
Depending on the particular case, repairing and restoring a mouth full of teeth takes anywhere from a few visits over the course of a handful of weeks to even up to a year. Lengthier wait times are due mostly in part to dental implants and the process of obtaining them. Crowns and veneers are super simple and take practically no time at all in comparison.
If you suffer from chronic pain in any of those areas and find yourself with a stiff jaw, it’s worth looking into the root cause of it. A dental surgeon in the area who builds replacement teeth from scratch would be happy to consult with prospective patients about whether their pain could be linked to strain on the TMJ or a misaligned bite. A pain-free life could be just around the corner at your local oral surgery practice.
