At Bollwerk & Associates, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers understand that car accident injuries extend far beyond broken bones and cuts. Dental trauma and jaw injuries from airbag deployment or the force of the crash itself can develop into serious conditions like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, affecting your ability to eat, speak, and sleep comfortably. We help accident victims throughout the St. Louis area pursue compensation for all their injuries, including those that may not become apparent until weeks after the crash.
Understanding TMJ Disorder and Its Symptoms
Temporomandibular joint disorder affects the joints that act as hinges between your jawbone and skull. These joints are among the most used in your body—working every time you speak, chew, swallow, or yawn. When they become damaged or inflamed, the effects can be debilitating.
- Persistent jaw pain that may radiate to your ears, neck, and shoulders. Many people experience clicking, popping, or grinding sounds when opening and closing their mouth. The jaw may lock in an open or closed position, making it difficult to eat or speak normally.
- Headaches. The pain typically occurs around the temples and may worsen throughout the day as jaw muscles become more fatigued from use.
- Changes in your bite. If your teeth no longer fit together properly when you close your mouth, or if you notice unusual wear patterns on your teeth, the alignment of your jaw may have been affected by the collision.
- Sleep disturbances. Some people develop sleep bruxism (nighttime teeth grinding) as a response to jaw dysfunction, which further aggravates symptoms and can cause additional dental damage.
- Difficulty opening your mouth fully. This limitation, known as trismus, may develop gradually as scar tissue forms or inflammation persists in the joint area. It can interfere with eating, dental hygiene, and medical procedures involving the mouth.
The Connection Between Dental Trauma and TMJ
Dental injuries sustained in car accidents frequently contribute to the development of TMJ disorder. There are multiple interconnected factors that can play a role.
- Changes in your bite. Missing or damaged teeth alter the way force is distributed when you bite and chew. Instead of being evenly spread across all your teeth, pressure becomes concentrated in certain areas, overworking some jaw muscles while others become weak from disuse. This imbalance creates the perfect conditions for TMJ problems to develop.
- Dental work. Dental restorations performed after an accident, while necessary for oral health, can sometimes inadvertently contribute to TMJ issues if they change your bite height or tooth alignment. Crowns, fillings, or bridges that are even slightly off can cause your jaw to shift into unnatural positions during chewing and speaking.
- Damage to the roots of your teeth. Root damage that isn't immediately visible can also play a role in TMJ development. When tooth roots are injured but the crown appears intact, changes in how the tooth responds to pressure can subtly alter your chewing patterns and jaw mechanics over time.
- Effects of stress on the body. The psychological stress of dealing with dental injuries can increase muscle tension throughout your head and neck, including the muscles that control jaw movement. This chronic tension can perpetuate TMJ symptoms long after the initial dental trauma has healed.
It should be noted that you can be diagnosed with TMJ disorder even if you experience little or no pain immediately after your accident. Many St. Louis car accident victims don't realize their jaw has been injured because adrenaline temporarily masks the pain. By the time symptoms appear, the initial trauma may have already set the stage for long-term TMJ disorder.
Treatment Options for Post-Accident TMJ
Treating TMJ disorder that develops after a car accident typically requires a multidisciplinary approach. The specific treatment plan depends on the severity of symptoms and the extent of underlying damage to the jaw joints and surrounding structures.
Conservative treatments are usually tried first and may include rest, ice application, and anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling and pain. A soft diet can give overworked jaw muscles time to heal while avoiding further irritation to damaged joint structures.
More advanced cases of TMJ may require oral appliances, physical therapy, and/or restorative dental work. Surgical intervention to repair damaged joint structures, remove scar tissue, or correct significant jaw alignment problems is considered if other treatments have failed to provide adequate relief.
At Bollwerk & Associates, our St. Louis motor vehicle accident lawyers are committed to ensuring you are fully compensated for your injuries and able to access the medical care you need to move forward with your life.
