Neck and shoulder pain. When your jaw bone isn’t closing properly, the surrounding tissue can suffer from pain, swelling and chronic stress. The jaw muscles play a role in maintaining proper head posture and also connect to muscles in your neck that are involved in spinal alignment. Unexplained neck, shoulder pain or even back pain may be related to TMJ disorder.

Headaches and TMJ Morning headaches can result from clenching or grinding your teeth at night, or from having misaligned teeth and an uneven bite, which places stress on the jaw. Tension headaches occur in as much as 70% of people with TMJ disorders, according to a December 2020 study. and TMJ Morning headaches can result from clenching or grinding your teeth at night, or from having misaligned teeth and an uneven bite, which places stress on the jaw. Tension headaches occur in as much as 70% of people with TMJ disorders, according to a December 2020 study.

Ear pain is often a warning sign of TMJ as it is a pretty common symptom. Nerves around the TMJ affect the nerves in and around the ear, and down the neck, so they can manifest pain anywhere in those general regions. Make sure to visit your dentist if you have unknown ear pain

Facial pain can be a warning sign of TMJ. With the central facial location of the joint, pain can easily spread across your face. If you start to have an ache or pain in your face without knowing a direct cause, talk to your dentist and see if it is a TMJ issue.

Grating or popping sounds (possibly caused by injury) that may emanate from your jaw as it moves could be a warning sign of TMJ. If you are experiencing this make sure to speak to your dentist so he/she can verify the causing factor

Pain while chewing can be a sign of TMJ. When your jaw is rigid and tight, you feel discomfort with every bite you take. If you are experiencing such a pain while chewing, talk to your dentist

The following key muscles connect to the TMJ: Your TMJs are involved in many repetitive daily functions. Every time you open or close your mouth, chew, talk or yawn, the TMJ is active. The following are the key muscles that connect to the TMJ

• Masseter. The most powerful jaw muscle in mastication, or chewing, the masseter, lifts your jaw and closes your mouth.
• Pterygoid muscles. The lateral and medial pterygoids are involved in jaw-lifting, mouth-closing and sliding your jaw forward or from side to side.
• Temporalis muscle. The temporalis, which runs from the temporal bone at each side of the head to the bony part of the lower jaw, is a chewing muscle involved in crushing and grinding. Your TMJs are involved in many repetitive daily functions. Every time you open or close your mouth, chew, talk or yawn, the TMJ is active.

Although you do not need to wet your toothbrush at all, there are some benefits to wetting your toothbrush before you start brushing your teeth. If you wet your toothbrush before adding your toothpaste, it helps to soften your toothbrush bristles and rinse off any debris. If you wet your toothbrush after adding toothpaste, it helps to ensure the toothpaste melts into your toothbrush so it doesn’t roll off. 

Did you know most people use too much toothpaste? You only need to use a pea-sized dab of toothpaste on your toothbrush. Most adults tend to think that it is necessary to cover the entire brushing surface of a toothbrush because of the way toothpaste is advertised on television and adds.

You will want to schedule a regular dental exam for your baby. The American Dental Association recommends that a baby gets his first dental exam at age one, but most pediatricians agree that the first visit can wait until age two, as long as you practice good home care. If you take good care of this first set of pearly whites, you can establish good dental habits for years to come.

Even though your baby is not using a fluoride toothpaste, he/she should get enough fluoride (Fluoride is important for preventing tooth decay) from drinking tap water. Most communal water supplies have it added just for this beneficial purpose. Ask your dentist about fluoride supplements. Your baby can take it once he/she’s six months old if your tap water is not fluoridated or your child does not drink any tap water.

You will want to start using a toothbrush with paste at around age two. Begin using a pea-size amount of non-fluoride toothpaste once Baby is about two. Wait until at least three, when your child is old enough not to swallow the toothpaste, before introducing the fluoride kind.

Did you know that most infant foods easily wash off Baby’s teeth with just a drink of water after meals. But it is good to introduce a toothbrush as soon as possible, so baby can get used to having it in his/her mouth. You probably will not need to use the brush to actually clean Baby’s teeth until he/she’s eating only table foods (and has a significant number of teeth), at around 18 months. However, you will want to gently clean your child’s teeth with a toothbrush or thimble-like cleaner and some bicarbonate of soda if your toddler has eaten sticky, sugary foods

Even with good at home dental care habits you want to always check for any signs of tooth decay. The first signs of cavities in baby teeth are discoloration and minor pitting. Putting Baby to bed with a bottle of milk (or worse, juice) is notorious for causing cavities. Do not leave your infant with a bottle for long periods of time, especially if you notice he/she’s no longer feeding and is just using the bottle for comfort. Just like adults babies need to see their dentist regularly.

When it comes you your baby teeth you want to take care of them right away. Once the teeth begin coming in, start taking care of them right away. Sadly many parents think baby teeth are not important because they are eventually replaced by permanent ones. But these first teeth preserve the spacing for the permanent ones and help baby chew and talk. If they are not cared for properly they can decay, leading to a gum infection called gingivitis, which can affect the spacing of permanent teeth.

How can I get free dental care in California?

Reply: Medi-Cal Dental is the program that provides free or low-cost dental services to eligible children and adults. The Medi‑Cal Dental Program provides free or low‑cost dental services to children and adults who receive Medi‑Cal, California’s Medicaid program.

Some dental Schools also provide free to low cost dental services. You may want to review getting a dental HMO as they are low cost dental insurance plans that typically provide preventive care for free and lower the cost for all other covered services.