Golf might seem like a simple game: hit the ball into the hole. But golfers know that this is often a lot more complex than it seems. Controlling your swing and getting good distance and aim consistently is a big challenge for many golfers.
Many factors go into your golf swing, including your bite. At least, this is one conclusion we can draw from the dramatic turnaround enjoyed by Jessica Korda this year after getting surgery to fix her bite problem last year.
After years of dealing with headaches, she faced an acute increase in her condition, leading her to finally get treatment. And it seems that her jaw treatment has dramatically turned her condition around as she burns up the links with numerous top rankings this year.
Crippling Facial Spasms
This year mark Korda’s 8th season on the LPGA Tour. A promising rookie in 2011, her winnings haven’t allowed her to enter the top tier of women’s golf. Last year, she was unable to win any of the tournaments she played, having to settle for a tie for second as part of a total of four top-10 finishes all season.
Last season, her play was dragged down by a severe bite imbalance that had plagued her for years with headaches and jaw pain. But last season the chronic condition turned acute, culminating in painful facial spasms at the CME Group Tour Championship. As she played, she experienced painful facial spasms that were so intense they partially closed her right eye.
Korda took this as a sign that she needed additional treatment for her bite problem. Since her youth, she had had an extreme overbite. Several treatments had been tried, including braces and an oral appliance, but for Korda these didn’t work and she had to resort to surgery.
After a three-hour surgery last December, she spent weeks recovering as her mom fed her liquid food via syringe.
A Promising Comeback
The surgery may have been invasive and the recovery long, but, it turns out, it was just what Korda needed.
With just six starts so far this season, she already has as many top-10 placements as she had all of last year. In addition, she has one tournament win, which she wasn’t able to achieve at all last year.
This amazing start puts her in the top ranks of women golfers this year. She is ranked number 8 in the LPGA World Ranking, and she’s at the top for putts per green in regulation, eagles, and rounds in the 60s.
What an amazing difference her surgery seems to have made. Hopefully, she will continue to play great golf now that she’s resolved this bite problem.
Is Your Jaw Affecting Your Game?
Few people have jaw problems as severe as Korda. It’s unlikely that you’ll experience crippling jaw pain when golfing.
But it’s not unlikely that a jaw problem like TMJ could be impacting your golf game. Golf depends on having a strong, stable core that can give you control and consistency for your swings. Whether you’re driving or putting, it all comes back to your ability to hit the ball just right.
If you experience problems with your game as well as TMJ symptoms like:
- Headaches
- Face pain
- Jaw pain
- Worn teeth
- Facial muscle spasms
- Tinnitus and other ear symptoms
- And others
Then TMJ may be impacting you, including your golf game. We can help you resolve your TMJ and enjoy the benefits of a healthier, more balanced bite. Most people with less severe jaw problems don’t even need jaw surgery as Korda did.
To learn more about TMJ treatment in the Hilton Head area, please call (843) 706-2999 today for an appointment with a TMJ dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
