Orthodontics: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

The temporomandibular joint connects the lower jaw to the skull and remains the only paired joint of the body that cannot work as halves separately: both sides move simultaneously, and a problem with one inevitably affects the other. Inside the joint lies a cartilage disc - a pad that slides along with the head of the jaw every time the mouth opens. It is this sound that is most often associated with the sound that brings people to the doctor. Two opposing and equally incorrect opinions have developed around this sound: “it clicks, it means there’s nothing wrong with it, everyone clicks” and “it clicks, it means the joint is destroyed.” The truth is in the middle and quite specific: an isolated painless click without restriction of mouth opening is actually observed without treatment. But a click along with pain - or a click that suddenly disappeared simultaneously with the ability to open your mouth wide - is no longer the norm, but a reason to see a specialist, and in the second case in the coming days.

The bite is the way the upper and lower teeth fit together. It determines which teeth bear the load when chewing, how pressure is distributed between them, how muscles and joints work, and even how individual speech sounds are formed. Hence the main misconception, due to which treatment is postponed for decades: “braces are only for beauty.” In reality, a beautiful smile is a pleasant result, but it is not the only result. Incorrect closure means that some of the teeth are overloaded and are worn out faster than expected, and some are not involved in chewing at all; in crowded areas it is impossible to properly clean the contact surfaces, and caries and gum inflammation appear there earlier; with a deep bite, the lower incisors injure the mucous membrane of the palate; when open, the pronunciation of whistling and hissing sounds is disrupted and the method of swallowing changes. Orthodontics is first and foremost about the function and preservation of teeth, and secondarily about appearance.

Bruxism is an involuntary activity of the masticatory muscles in which a person grinds their teeth or clenches their jaw tightly without realizing it. The most famous explanation for teeth grinding - “it's from worms” - is not confirmed: the connection between parasites and bruxism has never been proven, and treatment for worms does not stop the grinding. This myth has persisted for centuries simply because both phenomena are more often noticed in children, and the coincidence in time is easily mistaken for the reason. The real mechanisms are completely different and lie in the area of ​​the nervous system, sleep quality and stress levels. The problem is not harmless: the force with which the muscles compress the jaws during sleep is many times greater than that developed during normal chewing, because protective control is turned off during sleep. This is why teeth that have withstood food for years are worn down and cracked by their own owner.