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Neuromuscular Dentistry

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Neuromuscular dentistry focuses on understanding the soft tissues, muscles and nerves, associated with misalignment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which can lead to temporomandibular disorder (TMD).  Many individuals suffer from discomforts such as facial pain, locking jaw, ringing in the ears, neck/shoulder pain, headaches/migraines, numbness in fingers/arms, and other TMD related issues on a daily basis.   Because TMJ can be difficult to diagnose, many people simply live with the pain or rely on pain medication.

TMJ often goes undiagnosed because people normally go to a doctor for pain that is symptomatic of TMJ.   The science of neuromuscular dentistry (NMD) evaluates and treats your overall oral health by considering how your muscles, teeth and joints all work together.

Muscles control the alignment and movement of your jaw when biting and chewing. So a malocclusion, or malaligned jaws resulting in an improper bite can result in severely worn or broken teeth, as well as several other symptoms, including posture related imbalances or even severe headaches.

TMD (Tempromandibular dysfunction) and MPD (Myofascial Pain Dysfunction) are two of the terms used to describe the myriad of symptoms related to this problem.

Other common symptoms include dizziness or vertigo, numbness in the fingers and arms, limited jaw opening or even locking of the jaws, clicking or popping of the jaw joints, temporal (temples) pain, neck and shoulder pain or tension, fullness or ringing in the ears, and difficulty swallowing. Some patients with retrognathia, a common malocclusion, can cause or worsen snoring and sleep apnea.

Treatment begins with a thorough history and evaluation, relaxing the jaw muscles, and finding out how to get the bite right. This process begins with use of a Myomonitor, which delivers a gentle electrical stimulation to relax your jaw muscles and find where your jaws are in optimal balance and to see if an adjustment to your occlusion (bite) is needed.

To learn more about treatment of TMJ, please contact us today.