April 2013 - Ryan Perry, DDS

Do I have TMD? When I eat, my jaw cracks, pops and it hurts. Today, I attempted to eat and opened my jaw and it felt locked. At this moment, I can only fit a couple fingers in my mouth and my jaw seems to pop out of place. What is going on?
– Andrew from Louisiana

Dear Andrew,

Based on what you’ve mentioned, it sounds like you may be suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD) and lock jaw. Research indicates this type of disorder is often caused by stress and this occurs when a person grinds or clenches their teeth while sleeping; this is a way to alleviate pent-up anxiety. Of course clenching may also occur when a person is awake as well.

The act of clenching and grinding may cause clicking and popping and make your teeth hurt. All of this may also cause gum recession and bone loss around the teeth.

People often experience TMD problems when their teeth due to the fact that their teeth are not properly aligned. When this is the case, orthodontics is needed to correct jaw joint issues.

If you’re not suffering from bad tooth alignment, your dentist will probably recommend a night guard for you to wear at night when you sleep. This will prevent you from clenching and grinding and will alleviate your symptoms of cracking and popping. This will also keep you from suffering tooth pain or bone loss.

Clues that you may be grinding or clenching:
■Morning headaches
■Sore cheeks
■Jaw joint pain
■Tooth pain
■Tooth wear
■Ab fraction Lesions (tooth enamel wearing off side of tooth next to gums causing sensitivity)

If you’re suffering from tooth pain or lock jaw, use heat and ice packs on your jaw joints several times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time. This will alleviate swelling around your joints. Lock jaw may last several weeks.

We recommend you book an appointment and see a dentist for an evaluation on your condition. They will be able to rule out whether you’re suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction and will know how to help you.

This blog brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry, Baton Rouge Family Dentist.

I have a sharp chip in my tooth that created a cut in my mouth. My mother suggested I rinse my mouth with salt water so my sore doesn’t get infected. I’m concerned the salt water will damage my teeth. Is this true or should I follow my mother’s suggestion?
– Katrina from Louisiana

Dear Katrina,

Your mother offered a good solution for your problem. Salt water rinses don’t damage teeth; salt water solutions are known for promoting healing.

The best way to make this mixture is to measure one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water. Next, pour the mixture into your mouth and swish around the water, not swallowing but spitting it out. You want to use the whole glass and do this several times a day.

The salt solution doesn’t destroy many organisms in the mouth but it does deter them because it changes the PH balance in the mouth by temporarily making it more alkaline which slows down bacterial growth.

Salt water also soothes the mucosa in the mouth which is the soft tissues in the oral cavity. It also helps with canker sores, tissue irritation from dental treatment and cuts. Salt water treatment is a great solution to oral irritations.

This blog sponsored by Baton Rouge Family Dentist, Dr. Ryan Perry.

How Do I know if I Have TMD?

Does Salt Water Rinse Hurt My Teeth?

Archives for April 2013