Losing A Tooth With TMD: What You Need To Know
Patients with a TMJ disorder understand that staying pain free is a balancing act between good oral health and lifestyle choices. Losing a tooth when you have TMD can throw off that balance and complicate treatment. That is why we always recommend patients replace missing teeth right away to prevent treatment setbacks. For anyone who hasn’t yet begun TMJ treatment, replacing missing teeth is equally important to their oral and overall health.
Losing a Tooth With TMJ Disorder
Adults lose teeth for a variety of reasons, some preventable, like poor oral hygiene and gum disease, and some unavoidable, like an auto accident or sports injury. Losing a tooth when you have a TMJ disorder can make the condition worse and disrupt treatment progress.
When you lose a tooth and don’t immediately feel any negative effects, it likely won’t stay that way. The teeth around the gap in your smile will eventually shift out of alignment to fill that space. Once this happens, you may experience more pain, increased difficulty chewing, and more severe clicking or popping when you open and close your mouth. Shifting teeth will also throw off your bite, putting more strain on your jaw joint and worsening your symptoms.
What to Do if You Lose a Tooth
Whether you lose a tooth unexpectedly or have a dentist perform a tooth extraction, the best thing you can do is replace it right away. While we don’t perform tooth replacement at our centers, all of our doctors are board-certified dentists and can consult with you as you’re making a treatment decision to help you choose the best solution for your particular condition. We can also refer you to an expert dentist or oral surgeon.
Keep Your Treatment on Track
Losing a tooth can interrupt your TMD treatment progress, and we don’t want that. So, should you suffer tooth loss, we urge you to call Center for TMJ & Sleep Solutions NW located in Silverdale, Federal Way, or Bellevue, WA. Your doctor will work with you to ensure minimal disruption to your current treatment. The most important thing is that you stay healthy and pain free.
Don’t let losing a tooth get in the way of your TMJ treatment. Call Center for TMJ & Sleep Solutions NW today for a thorough assessment and advice on how to stay on track.
