Why See a Neuromuscular Dentist?

A neuromuscular dentist works with the soft tissues and hard tissues of the mouth, jaw and face. They manipulate the jaw to find the position that best harmonizes the muscles, nerves, bones, and teeth.

When someone is suffering from a misaligned bite (malocclusion), it can be extremely painful and can negatively affect the rest of your life. This disorder is known as TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction) and these are some of the painful symptoms that come with it:

• Painful migraine-like headaches
  
• Earaches
  
• Jaw muscle tenderness
  
• Pain and pressure behind the eyes
  
• Neck pain
  
• Shoulder pain
  
• Pain when yawning
  
• Pain when chewing
  
• Popping and clicking in the jaw joint
  

Many people suffer for years with these symptoms and do not realize that they are the result of a misaligned bite and can be cured by seeing a neuromuscular dentist. The result is years of needless suffering.

How Neuromuscular Dentists Diagnose Patients

The latest dental technology available allows the neuromuscular dentist to determine the best position for an individual's jaw to reduce stress and pain and increase health and quality of life. The equipment employed in the diagnosis of neuromuscular abnormalities involves:

• Computerized technology that records the patient's resting position, the path of its movement when closing and all other jaw movements.
• Sonography records the sounds that are made by the joints of the jaw in order to determine if any abnormalities exist.
• Electromyography measures the function of the jaw muscles in relaxed and stressed positions and determines any structural imbalances between the patient's skull and jaw.
• X-rays are also taken to aid in joint condition and position evaluation.

How Neuromuscular Symptoms are Treated

Neuromuscular symptoms can make a person's everyday life difficult and very painful to endure. When the jaw is misaligned, physiological problems begin to occur which negatively affect the patient's overall health. Elimination of these painful symptoms improves health and allows dental work to be performed which will have longer-lasting results. In order for necessary dental work to be performed in many cases, the neuromuscular issues must be relieved before any other dental improvements can be attempted. Treatment involves:

The use of a TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation) Unit to relieve muscle pain and spasm and relax the jaw muscles. This unit gently massages the muscles and results in increased blood flow and endorphine release which is the body's built in pain relieving system. It also aids in the removal of waste that builds up in the blood.

The use of an orthotic (oral stabilizing device) temporarily adjusts the mouth until the bite can be effectively and permanently stabilized. Discussion of long-term neuromuscular management and adjustment of the patient's dental bite allows dentist and patient to work together to achieve a permanent solution.

Neuromuscular dentists are trained to realign the dental bite and relieve the painful symptoms that result. The muscles control movement of the mouth and the nerves control the function and pressures in the mouth. When any one of these aspects of normal mouth and jaw function is failing, the whole system does not work properly and causes extreme pain.