{"id":71,"date":"2019-04-21T14:59:02","date_gmt":"2019-04-21T14:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/?p=71"},"modified":"2019-07-11T14:44:34","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T14:44:34","slug":"can-a-tmj-disorder-be-caused-by-stress-dentist-in-west-seneca-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/can-a-tmj-disorder-be-caused-by-stress-dentist-in-west-seneca-answers\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a TMJ Disorder Be Caused by Stress? Dentist in West Seneca Answers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_51071085__1558450650_92293-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"stressed woman with jaw pain \" class=\"wp-image-72\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_51071085__1558450650_92293-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_51071085__1558450650_92293-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_51071085__1558450650_92293.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Between the demands of work and family, your life is\ncertainly full, but quite stressful. You are usually able to manage it pretty\nwell, but lately, you have been feeling quite a bit of pain and stiffness in\nyour jaw, and you seem to develop a tension headache every single day. Could\nthis be the result of your stress? According to a dentist in West Seneca, yes.\nIn fact, stress is one of the main risk factors for a problem that causes the\nexact symptoms you are experiencing: TMJ disorder. What is it, and better yet,\nwhat can you do to treat it so you have one less thing to worry about during\nthe day? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Connection Between TMJ Disorder &amp; Stress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Stress is a common response to everyday situations, whether\nyou are working on a deadline at the office, trying to be a strict parent at\nhome, or commuting in between. In many cases, mental stress leads to physical\ntension, and it can manifest all around the body. For many people, this tension\nends up in their jaw, leading to unconscious clenching and teeth grinding. Most\nhave no clue that they are doing it throughout the day, and it often occurs\nonly while a person is sleeping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This constant clenching and grinding, which can happen for\nhours at a time during the night, exposes the teeth and jaw muscles to forces\nway beyond normal chewing. As a result, the teeth can become worn and cracked,\nand the jaw muscles develop strain and pain. This can radiate all throughout\nthe head, leading to chronic headaches. This is a classic example of TMJ\ndisorder, and it is actually one of the most underdiagnosed causes of\nmigraines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common TMJ Disorder Symptoms <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All of the following may be signs that you are dealing with\na TMJ disorder:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Constant popping and clicking in the jaw<\/li><li>Persistent pain and soreness in the jaw<\/li><li>Your jaw has become \u201cstuck\u201d while opening or\nclosing <\/li><li>Frequent headaches and\/or earaches<\/li><li>Chronic pain in the neck, shoulders, and even\nback<\/li><li>Bruxism (nighttime teeth grinding)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What You Can Do About a TMJ Disorder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, fortunately,\ngetting treatment is rather easy. All you need to do is contact your dentist.\nIn addition to the teeth, they also understand the delicate system that\nincludes your mouth, jaw, head, and neck. They will be able to identify what is\ncausing the problem, and if it is a stress-induced TMJ disorder, they can offer\nmultiple options to handle it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Nightguard:\n<\/strong>This is a custom-made mouthpiece a patient would wear to bed, and it prevents\nthe teeth from grinding together while also placing the jaw into a more\ncomfortable orientation, both of which reduce pain. <\/li><li><strong>Exercises:<\/strong>\nTo further alleviate any discomfort associated with a TMJ disorder, your\ndentist can show you specific exercises designed to relax and calm your tense\njaw muscles. <\/li><li><strong>Stress-Reducing\nTechniques<\/strong>: Limiting stress can cut off a TMJ disorder at the root for many\npatients. Breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, and many other practices\ncan help lower a person\u2019s stress level, and therefore reduce the tension that\nleads to pain in the jaw\/head. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While stress is something everyone has to deal with, no one\nshould have to cope with constant pain due to a TMJ disorder. If any of the symptoms\nlisted above sound familiar, contact your dentist right away, and they will be\nable to remove a big distraction from your already busy life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/lee-shainbrown-dds.html\">Dr. Lee\nShainbrown<\/a> is a highly-experienced dentist who has been serving local\nfamilies for decades. In addition to many general dentistry services, he and\nhis team also provide comprehensive TMJ therapy in West Seneca. If a stiff, sore\njaw and headache are just everyday occurrences for you, he can help you finally\nenjoy the relief you deserve. To learn more about your treatment options, he\ncan be contacted through his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Between the demands of work and family, your life is certainly full, but quite stressful. You are usually able to manage it pretty well, but lately, you have been feeling quite a bit of pain and stiffness in your jaw, and you seem to develop a tension headache every single day. Could this be the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73,"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71\/revisions\/73"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.applegatedentalpllc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}