How Jaw Health Impacts Your Entire Body: What Dentists Wish You Knew
For many people, oral health is simply a matter of brushing, flossing, and avoiding cavities. However, there is one vital component of your dental system that has far-reaching effects beyond your teeth – your jaw! The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) does just that, and much more. Not only does the TMJ assist with chewing and speaking, it gets more complicated once the TMJ also effects and supports overall physical balance and comfort.
If you experience chronic headaches, neck tension and sometimes even unexplainable shoulder pain, it is possible that you are having some of these issues be the result of problems with your jaw. Many dentists recognize the different ways that a jaw problem can effect the rest of the body, and many more are able to help their patients find relief that goes beyond the mouth.
The Jaw’s Influence on Body Mechanics
The jaw is part of the larger musculoskeletal system, including the neck, head, spine, and shoulders. The jaw has anatomical features including the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is one of the most used joints in the body (every time we talk, eat, or yawn). In an ideal situation, whenever the jaw is operating, the TMJ allows us to seamlessly and efficiently connect our bite to our posture.
When someone’s jaw is not aligning or functioning optimally, and is also experiencing some tension (from clenching or grinding, also called bruxism), it can create unnecessary tension in surrounding musculature that not only influences the way a person’s body holds, carries and supports itself, but over time it can also lead to tightness and discomfort to different areas of the upper body and neck, and even lead to some misalignment in the shoulders and upper back. In my experience as a massage therapist, I have seen clients who are unaware that the tension related postural issues they have developed could be related to jaw dysfunction.
Signs Your Jaw May Be the Root of Other Symptoms
Jaw issues can be difficult to notice and can last unnoticed for many years. Many patients present with symptoms that at first glance have no connection to their dental health, such as:
- Headaches or migraines, especially in the morning
- Ear pressure or pain without infection
- Popping or clicking sounds when opening or closing the jaw
- Facial tightness or soreness in the temples and cheeks
- Stiffness or pain in the neck, upper back, or shoulders
Because the symptoms can look like a number of conditions, patients often see multiple specialists before they see the connection back to their jaw health. This is where the dentist’s reflections are important because dentists have been trained to look at how structures in the mouth might be contributing to patterns of pain elsewhere.
Dental Solutions That Support Full-Body Comfort
After a dentist has discerned that a patient’s discomfort is due to jaw strain or misalignment, there are several management strategies that can be employed:
- Fabricating a custom night guard to prevent teeth grinding during sleep
- Adjusting the bite to create more even pressure across teeth
- Recommending orthodontic treatment to address misalignment or crowding
Correcting jaw closure generates improved sleep quality, reduced tension headaches, and improved comfort. These may seem like small adjustments, but they result in substantial reduction in strain on the muscles associated with the head, jaw, neck and back.
Pain Management Strategies for Jaw-Related Discomfort
For a lot of patients, the relief of pain from TMJ strain or bruxism is usually the most important part. Typical amounts of anti-inflammatory medications will usually be used to create both an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.
When we look at over-the-counter medications, it is useful to understand how each medication works. For example, the comparison of Aleve vs Advil will help to appreciate which option may be better for inflammation pain vs tension pain. This offers a patient the ability to choose a more appropriate medication with the ultimate goal of effective pain relief and not over-medicating.
Oral pain relievers have proven convenient for a patient in managing pain in the short-term and particularly in pain flare-ups or times when her jaw has been under extra tension for longer than normal.
The Role of Topical Relief in Supporting Jaw and Neck Health
Because jaw dysfunction usually extends to surrounding musculature, localized relief to the neck and shoulder can be particularly useful. It is here that you could potentially use topical pain relief options.
Topical options allow you to target sore or tight muscles directly with active ingredients designed to decrease inflammation or increase circulation. Products from Medistik, for example, are normally used for muscle and joint tension and can be applied on your neck, upper back, or jaw line. These have proved particularly useful when jaw tension leads to a secondary soreness in the surrounding muscle groups.
Even though these treatments do not repair the impairment in your dental health, there is value in offering supportive care to make other treatments more effective or improve comfort in daily living.
When to Speak with Your Dentist
If you’re experiencing recurring discomfort in your jaw, face, neck, or shoulders, and you have no idea why, it may be time to approach your dentist about it. Even if your symptoms seem unrealted to your teeth, your dentist will know if you are experiencing some sort of issues with alignment or clenching, etc.
Dentists that have been educated in TMJ disorders or partial neuromuscular dentistry will provide a thorough examination of the bite, record jaw movements, and check for disparities in tension. They typically will also provide a referral to physical therapists, chiropractors and/or medical doctors to provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan to ensure you and your body is in a good care system.
This goes beyond oral health- this is about us recognizing how connected every thing is.
Final Thoughts
The jaw is frequently ignored, yet it is an important area of the body for physical function. Jaw misalignment and tension, strain, and/or injury can create a cascading effect that leads to headaches, a stiff neck, and postural issues.
If you understand and assess your own jaw, and notice how it feels and functions, and seek care when you sense that something is “off,” you may find functional benefits that make a positive change to your comfort level in daily activities. And once you receive care that is collaborative with your dentist and other health care professionals, your benefits may be transformative.