When I was 14 or 15, I started getting really bad headaches. A few weeks after the headaches started, I noticed a clicking feeling in my jaw when I chewed gum. It got to be quite painful, so a trip to the dentist was in order…and he told me that I had TMJ. When your Temporomandibular joints of the jaw don’t work properly, it can cause painful chewing, headaches (even migraines), an aching jaw, and even ear aches! My Temporomandibular joint disorder was very mild though, so once I stopped chewing gum, and did a few gentle stretches for my jaw (recommended by my dentist) I stopped having any pain.
For some though, that’s not enough to solve the problem. TMJ can be treated with the Night Guard, a new mouth guard that will users from grinding their teeth at night. Bruxism is the term for grinding the teeth, and it can also cause TMJ. People who grind their teeth at night sometimes clench their jaw as well, and the use of a night guard will protect your teeth and keep you from experiencing TMJ due to what you’re doing when you sleep.
