The malalignment can also put strain on the jaw muscles. This factor can be mild to severe. Though the bite is an important part of the whole system it is only altered after conservative measures and only if it is felt improvement will result. Treatment of the bite for TMD is usually not needed but its contribution to the whole must be examined. This occurs due to two basic reasons.
Stress increases both the severity and duration of bruxism while asleep.
The other way stress contributes to TMD is that during times of stress your adaptability goes down. Emotional conditions beyond daily life stress can contribute to TMD as well. Depression, anxiety disorders, and the like can often have TMD problems arise. These conditions are quite stressful and it is not hard to imagine why TMD would develop. If you work at a computer all day, for example, you may be holding your head in such a way that places strain on your TM system.