Have you suffered from a spontaneous ringing in your ear and don’t know the source? You could be suffering from a condition known as tinnitus. 0ver 50 million Americans suffer from this internally generated tone, which can be temporary or permanent. There may be other symptoms that are present when experiencing tinnitus, such as: Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ or TMD) issues, head, neck and back pain, and/or dizziness (vertigo).
Causes of Tinnitus
Ringing in the ears (or other tones and noises) can be caused in several ways. Possible causes of tinnitus include:
- Age-related hearing loss.
- Exposure to loud noise.
- Earwax buildup.
- Abnormal bone growth in the ear.
- Meniere’s disease (disorder of the inner ear).
- Stress and depression.
- Benign tumor of the cranial nerve.
- Certain medications.
- Jaw Joint Dysfunction (TMJ or TMD).
- Chronic neck muscle strain (most often related to TMD).
- Trauma (most often related to TMD).
- Occlusal changes (most often related to TMD).
Many of the root causes need to be diagnosed and treated by your doctor or a specialist. Causes related to the TMJ or TMD (Temporo-Mandibular Joint or Temporo-Mandibular Disorder) which are related to your jaw, may be treated by your dentist. In the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Shorewood Family Dental Care can help diagnose your tinnitus symptoms related to your oral health. While there isnt any confirmation on the exact correlation between the TMJ and tinnitus, there are different approaches that we can take to help treat the issue.
Treatment Options:
At Shorewood Family Dental Care, we want to ensure that you have a comprehensive treatment plan. Doing so will address any issues you may face relating to your oral health. If you are suffering from the effects of tinnitus relating to your oral health, your treatment options would differ if you are facing potential muscular issues vs potential neurological issues. For example, say you are experiencing tinnitus due to your jaw muscles applying pressure that causes the ringing in your error. In such cases, we may prescribe you tranquilizers or muscle relaxers. The goal would be to provide a muscular release to relieve the symptoms. Other treatment options may include a dental guard or other oral treatment plans (like orthodontics) to help reduce any pressure.
How To Determine The Best Treatment Plan:
A full exam is the best way to know what is causing your symptoms and determine your treatment plan. In the Joliet, IL area, you can trust Shorewood Family Dental Care to help you manage or alleviate your pain. We offer comprehensive exams to help us best understand what your oral care needs are, and our dental staff will work with you to on the best course to address any ringing you are experiencing. Contact us to schedule you visit.
