The Tamporomandibular Joint Syndrome is a very common dental condition that causes tightness of the jaw muscles and affects the ability of a person to move his jaw when eating or drinking. There are many possible treatments of this disorder but the use of TMJ splint therapy, sometimes called TMJ Appliance Therapy, is by far the most effective of them all. This kind of therapy makes use of a splint which is more commonly known as a mouth guard that covers the upper or lower teeth. This is done so that one cannot grind their teeth during sleep. Since one of the major causes of TMJ is teeth grinding during sleep, wearing a splint can help a person in eliminating the cause of the disorder, thus reducing the chances of aggravating the pain caused by the TMJ syndrome.
Types Of Splints
There are two basic types of splints that are used for treating patients suffering from TMJ syndrome. The first one is called a stabilization splint that covers all of the teeth. Such a splint is used to prevent the patient from grinding any of their teeth against each other and is usually very flat. The second one is called a repositioning splint. This kind of splint is used for repositioning the mandible, which is the lower part of the jaw. These splints are to be used throughout the day. They help a person in realigning his jawbone so that the tension in the joint is relieved.
Advantages Of Using Splints
Most of the dentists make use of splints and prefer it over doing surgeries because of the splint’s amazing benefits. For instance, using a splint can help a person in addressing the root cause of the disorder and can help in eradicating it. Moreover, getting a splint is not an irreversible procedure compared to surgery. If you think that you are not getting the desired result from the splint, you can opt for discontinuing its use at any time. Furthermore, using a splint is a much better option than surgery because it is much more economical. The TMJ appliance costs much less than a surgical procedure. Because of having all of these great advantages, splint therapy is definitely a good method of treatment for patients suffering from TMJ syndrome.
Risks Of Using Splint Therapy
Despite the fact that splint therapy is a very effective treatment method for treating TMJ disorder, it has its risks too. The biggest risk of all is that the use of splints can alter the shape of the jaw if used extensively. This can result in deformation of the person’s face, which is not desirable. Also, another risk involved with the use of splint therapy is the quality of the material used in the splint. The splint will remain in the mouth for long periods of time and thus has to be made out of good quality material or it will cause infection in the mouth.
Therefore, it can safely be said that TMJ splint therapy is a very effective method that has great advantages. However, the only important thing to keep in mind is to be careful when buying the splint and to read reviews on using TMJ appliances correctly before purchasing it.
