Occlusal Disease
Today, I’m going to talk about occlusal or bite disease.
Teeth are negatively affected by three diseases, decay (cavities), periodontal (gum) and occlusal (bite) disease. Most of us are aware of the signs and symptoms of the first two, probably from personal experience.
Occlusal disease does not always present itself so obviously. Wear, sensitivity, cracks, loose teeth, fractured teeth, painful jaw joints, headaches —these can be the effects of occlusal disease.
As you chew, your upper and lower teeth come together pushing against the skull. If you have an uneven bite, missing teeth or improperly aligned teeth, your muscles have to work harder to bring your teeth together. If you clench or grind your teeth the strain is even greater.
Your dentist will have the skills to recognize signs of occlusal disease and provide appropriate treatment to halt and often reverse its effects. Recognizing occlusal disease as early as possible increases the probability that you will have young teeth at an elderly age…and possibly require less dental treatment through your life.
Your doctor knows that looking into the future means providing you with all the information about what’s happening today and how it will impact your teeth five, ten, twenty and more years from now.
You may have a poor bite if you experience any of the following:
You clench your jaw muscles for long periods of time.
When you wake up in the morning your jaw muscles are tiered and sore
You experience pain behind your eyes
You grind your teeth while sleeping
Your jaw clicks and pops
Your head or scalp feels painful when you touch it
Your ears ache or you hear ringing
You have neck shoulder or back pain
You feel dizzy.
If you have any of these symptoms, we can evaluate your bite to determine if it is a probable contributing factor. If so, we will recommend an effective plan of treatment.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:17 am
“Occlusal disease does not always present itself so obviously. Wear, sensitivity, cracks, loose teeth, fractured teeth, painful jaw joints, headaches —these can be the effects of occlusal disease….” thank Dr Brian and the post. from it we know more about occlusal or bite disease and prevention