When your teeth are misaligned, they cannot provide enough muscle support in your face needed for chewing and swallowing. These muscles are then forced into a strained position which translates in discomfort throughout the face, head, arms, shoulders and back. The over-worked muscles from an unbalanced bite can result in pain that will materialize in the form of migraines, headaches, earaches, muscles tenderness, facial discomfort, a sore jaw and a multitude of other symptoms.
Impacts of a misaligned jaw
An imbalanced bite stresses and strains the jaw, creating issues in the joints, muscles, nerves and all its related operations. This can impact the way your mouth functions and can prevent you from fully opening your mouth and limiting your eating, swallowing, chewing and talking ability. A bad bite can have significant wear and tear on your teeth and can radically impact the appearance of your face. Your lips change shape. Wrinkles and creases form and deepen on the sides of your nose and mouth. And your lower lip starts to roll out and jowls begin to appear. Ear congestion, persistent earaches, dizziness, vertigo, ringing or whistling in the ears… these can all be traced back to TMJ. Technically (and medically) here’s what is going on:The over-activity of your jaw can make your ear canal sensitive and can result in a multitude of symptoms. Your ear has two important muscles: the tensor tympani (it attaches to the ear drum, stabilizing it from the excess vibration caused by loud sounds) and the tensor levi palatini (it attaches to the Eustachian tube helping to equalizing pressure within the inner ear…it is what “unplugs” your ears when you chew gum or suck a hard candy in an airplane). Because of jaw misalignment and the over-compensation of these muscles, it can lead to a multitude of symptoms related to your ears. These symptoms are the result of having a strained bite when the jaw is not aligned.
Effects of a misaligned jaw
The jaw area is a complex network of muscles and nerves. When the bite is misaligned – muscles and nerves throughout the head, including the ears, can be affected. The most common and obvious effect is persistent ringing or whistling in the ears. It can also lead to:
- dizziness
- vertigo
- ear pain or discomfort (earaches)
- impaired or restricted hearing
- congested or stuffy feeling in your ears
- sinus pain
By stabilizing and realigning your jaw, your bite will be restored back to its normal position, relieving the problems in your ears caused by the misaligned bite.
Consult your TMJ Osteopath at Cappino by calling 514-684-9073.