Can TMJ Affect Your Appearance?
If you suffer from TMJ, you already know that it can cause extreme discomfort in your everyday life. Simple tasks such as eating and speaking are now difficult and can be extremely painful at times. But did you know that TMJ can also change your appearance? That’s right, TMJ can actually alter your face shape and change the way you look. Keep reading to learn more about how TMJ affects your appearance and how to get TMJ treatment in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
How TMJ Can Alter Your Face
TMJ isn’t simply just a pain in your jaw that won’t go away. It can cause other symptoms, such as:
- Headaches that feel like migraines
- Earaches
- Toothaches
- Joint locking
- Joint clicking
- Tinnitus
- Pain in the neck and shoulders
- Inability to eat certain foods
As such, TMJ can cause the following changes to your appearance:
- Off-balanced jawline. If you’re constantly using one side of your mouth instead of the other, you may be wearing your teeth, and your jawline is becoming off balance. This can cause a change in both your facial appearance and the way you speak.
- Overdeveloped muscles. Bulging can happen on one side of the face due to the overdeveloped muscles that are compensating for the ones strained due to TMJ.
- Tilted head. Your head will begin to tilt as your TMJ persists. This happens when the imbalance in your jaw moves past the joint and goes into your neck and shoulder area. This is also why people experience pain in the neck and shoulders.
- Uneven face height. Due to the off-balanced jawline and overdeveloped muscles, you will experience uneven face height. Your jaw might come up shorter on one side than the other.
TMJ Treatment with Dr. Krissy Connor, Advanced Sleep and TMJ Solutions
If you have TMJ, it is important to seek TMJ treatment as soon as possible to avoid further complications, such as changes to your face.
Dr. Krissy Connor received her BSN in 2001 at the Marquette University School of Nursing. She was an emergency room nurse at Aurora Sinai Medical Center for 3 years before attending the Marquette University School of Dentistry to receive her DDS degree in 2008. She completed a post-graduate residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI. Her background as a nurse motivated her to seek an area of dentistry where she could use her wide variety of skills and clinical experience to better serve her community. She has been collaborating with physicians to treat patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea using oral appliance therapy since 2014.
Beyond her accomplishments, Dr. Connor is a mother to three beautiful daughters. Her husband, Dr. Michael Connor, is a Neurologist who shares in her passion for healthcare.
Dr. Connor has been improving the lives of patients as the owner of Hypnos Inc. in Brookfield, WI. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy.
Learn more at advancedsleepandtmjsolutions.com!
