4 ways a Chicago dentist could help to relieve your muscle pain

Your dentist may not be the first person you think of calling when you are experiencing muscle pain, but if you aren’t getting relief from anything that’s been prescribed by your doctor or chiropractor, a visit to a dentist might be the way to relieve muscle pain. Sometimes muscular pain is related to your temporomandibular joints, which are the joints that provide movement to your jaws. When something goes wrong with these joints, you can experience painful symptoms like headaches, facial pain, and muscle pain. There are several dental treatments that could provide relief.

1. Orthotics

If you are diagnosed with TMJ disorder, the goal for treatment is to get your jaws into proper position to relieve stress. The most common treatment for TMJ disorder is called orthotics. This is the use of a custom-fit mouthpiece or oral appliance that you wear when you are sleeping or whenever you can during the day.

While you are wearing the mouthpiece, your jaws are positioned for optimum comfort. Headaches and muscle pain from TMJ disorder are triggered by nerves that sense pain in the jaws and send pain signals to other parts of your head or body. Relieving the pressure on your jaws by wearing an oral appliance can stop muscle pain.

2. Orthodontics

If you have a misaligned bite, a permanent correction with orthodontics may provide permanent relief from TMJ symptoms. Many bite problems can be corrected with aligners, which are clear, comfortable and have a shorter treatment time than braces. In some cases braces are necessary, especially if your teeth need to be moved vertically.

3. Teeth restorations

Missing teeth or broken teeth can interfere with chewing and put excess stress on your jaws. Restorations to fix broken teeth can be accomplished with dental bonding or crowns. Missing teeth can be replaced with bridges, partial dentures or implants. Teeth restorations can be combined with other treatments such as orthodontics or cosmetic procedures for a full mouth reconstruction.

4. Trigger point injections

When pain in your jaws is triggering pain in other parts of your head or your body, blocking the nerve triggers can be an effective TMJ treatment. Trigger point injections can bring long-lasting pain relief and can be repeated as needed.

Learn more

If you are searching for a solution to relieve muscle pain, call your Chicago dentist and schedule a consultation. Your dentist can help you learn more  about how dentistry can treat headaches and muscle aches and perform an examination to determine if your teeth and jaws might hold the key to relieving your pain.