Bruxism/TMJ Therapy in Fayetteville, AR

Common symptoms include teeth grinding, clenching, jaw pain, headaches, facial soreness, and tired or tight jaw muscles. Some patients also experience TMJ pain, ear pain, neck discomfort, clicking or grating sounds, or tenderness around the joint. Bruxism symptoms may also include flattened or damaged chewing surfaces, sensitive teeth, and morning discomfort. TMJ symptoms can sometimes cause difficulty opening the mouth wide or make chewing uncomfortable. At Sequoyah Dental, we evaluate these symptoms together to determine if bruxism, TMJ problems, or another medical condition could be causing your discomfort.

We first try to determine if stress, sleep, bite concerns, daily habits, or another factor is contributing to your grinding. Relaxation techniques and reducing muscle tension may help some patients who clench their jaw during stressful periods. Limiting gum chewing and paying attention to daytime clenching can also help give the chewing muscles more time to rest. For nighttime grinding, we may recommend a custom-fit night guard to protect the teeth and reduce the effects of grinding while you sleep. Since there is no one way to prevent bruxism in every patient, we base our recommendations on your symptoms and the underlying cause.

A night guard can be helpful when grinding or clenching is causing tooth wear, muscle tension, or jaw discomfort. We create custom fit night guards for your teeth and bite not one size fits all appliances. The guard acts as a barrier between the upper and lower teeth to limit damage from grinding. A night guard can protect your teeth and may help with symptoms related to muscle strain, but it doesn’t address every cause of TMJ pain. We will evaluate your jaw and symptoms first to determine if a night guard is part of your TMJ therapy.

We start with conservative treatments based on the severity and possible cause of your symptoms. Recommendations may include eating soft foods, avoiding gum chewing, applying an ice pack as directed, relaxation techniques, or a custom dental appliance. Physical therapy may also be considered to improve jaw movement and reduce muscle tension, and muscle relaxants may be discussed with an appropriate medical provider. For some patients, Botox injections using botulinum toxin may be considered to reduce muscle activity in the muscles involved in clenching, although this is not for everyone. Surgery is generally considered only in specific cases when other treatments have not provided enough improvement, and the condition requires more involved care.

Yes, sleep bruxism can occur with sleep problems including sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, although grinding doesn’t automatically mean you have a sleep disorder. We may ask about snoring, disrupted sleep, morning headaches, daytime tiredness, or other symptoms when evaluating nighttime grinding. Many children and adults can grind their teeth for different reasons, so bruxism alone doesn’t mean you have a sleep disorder. If your symptoms suggest a sleep-related medical condition could be involved, we may recommend further evaluation rather than treating the grinding alone. Addressing underlying factors can be part of treating bruxism and overall dental and sleep health.