You may take for granted, the work your jaw does during each day of your life in London’s SE1. You eat, you talk and you chew your way through the average day and this places enormous forces through two tiny ball joints which connect the lower jaw to the top- more commonly known as the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ and the pressures on this joint come in many forms. The reason we have braces fitted, missing teeth replaced or have crown placements is to ensure that the occlusion of the mouth, or the ‘bite’, is correct. If this is misaligned, it places extra stresses on the TMJ. Teeth grinding is the ultimate enemy as you are continually placing stress on the joints and muscles that surround them. Over time, the joint will wear and cause many complications in the head, neck and upper back and it’s important to identify the symptoms early on. Constant ear, jaw and headaches are an indication that there is something wrong in this area, that can affect every day functions such as biting, chewing and talking- but the most obvious sign is when the jaw clicks when it is moved. Treatments for TMJ disorders can be many-fold. Resting of the jaw is important, combined with heat and ice therapies and medication. Occlusion correction is important to ensure the ‘bite’ reduces stresses in the TMJ. But most importantly, stress therapy can prevent teeth grinding and unnecessary pressures being placed on the jaw. But in extreme cases, the only alternative is surgery.

You may not have heard of TMJ but it affects thousands of people, mostly young men between the ages of twenty and forty, causing severe pain that ranges form intermittent to constant, and is located entirely in the head, jaw and neck. The pain can also last for years without ever improving unless the right treatment is sought from a South East London dentist.

One of the major problems with TMJ is that it is so little known. This means that many people with the condition suffer in silence or are sent away by their doctors who have told them it is a temporary muscular condition. Because TMJ affects the jaw and is often caused by a bite misalignment, it is very often a dentist who first notices or diagnoses the symptoms.

TMJ was thought for many years to have been caused by stress or head trauma but recent opinion has moved towards interruption of bite as a major cause. Bite is the way the top and bottom rows of teeth sit together and greatly affects the movement of the jaw. If movement of teeth occurs possibly as a result of a missing tooth, this can be altered causing a misalignment of the jaw muscles which causes the condition.

As the jaw is used a great deal for both talking and eating amongst other things it can be the cause of a great deal of pain and misery for sufferers but there is a cure. Once diagnosed a dentist may need to adjust the bite artificially to restore its position. This may be a simple procedure or may involve complex muscular diagnostics but in either case there is a definite end to the pain of TMJ. Don’t suffer in silence. See a dentist if you think you may have TMJ.

A dental bridge is a form of dental prosthetic that replaces a tooth or teeth that have been lost to dental decay or physical trauma. It consists of an artificial tooth attached either side of the missing tooth either by dental crowns, or if the teeth are in good condition, with resin-bonded metal strips.

Missing teeth can be very troublesome not to mention painful. They can cause long-term problems that can affect all the other teeth in the mouth as well as the joints and muscles of the face and neck. This happens when teeth rotate and shift into the space created by the missing tooth. This causes interruptions in the way the top and bottom teeth sit together, also known as bite. This can be a great source of irritation and can eventually lead to a very unpleasant jaw condition called TMJ.

It is therefore very important to replace the missing tooth as soon as possible. Dental bridges have been around for a long time but recent improvements in dental technology have led to improvements in treatment. The artificial tooth, known as the pontic, can be made from porcelain and chosen to closely match the colour of the other teeth for a more realistic appearance. A bridge will take several visits to a London SE1 dentist to fit, especially if the bridge is being attached using crowns.

Once fitted, the bridge may take some getting used to when talking and eating but after a while will be able to achieve almost everything possible with a real tooth and the cosmetic appearance of the teeth will have been fully restored. Dental bridges can last up to twenty years if properly maintained and cleaned regularly like other teeth. It is also advisable to make regular trips to the dentist to examine the bridge for any signs of weakness.

Just as a real bridge is used to fill the area between two pieces of land, a dental bridge is used to fill the gap between two teeth. These gaps in the dental arc are caused by teeth lost either due to decay or accident. It can be a very embarrassing situation for patients who have a missing tooth, particularly if it is a prominent or visible one. But beyond the cosmetic damage a missing tooth can cause, there are also some very serious physiological conditions that can occur from missing teeth.

If a tooth has been lost in the front of the dental arc then it can cause the other teeth to rotate or lean into the empty space. This can turn an otherwise straight and even smile into an unattractive and crooked one. This can also be the cause of malocclusion or bite interruption that can lead to painful jaw conditions called TMJ. Vacant teeth spaces can also act as difficult-to-clean bacteria traps. This can lead to bacterial infection that can cause further tooth damage. It is therefore very important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible.

Dental bridges are fitted by London SE1 dentists using a combination of an artificial tooth, composite resin bonding and dental crowns. A crown on each of the abutment teeth on either side of the gap act as support for the new tooth which sits on top of the gum. In cases where patient’s teeth are very healthy otherwise the dentist may choose to use metal strips to attach the artificial tooth rather than dental crowns.

Dental bridges usually last for between 10 and 15 years but in some cases, when properly cared for, they can last a lot longer. Ask a dentist about dental bridges if you are suffering from a missing tooth.