Neuromuscular Dentistry

    /24-7PressRelease/ - August 21, 2008 - There is a relatively new area of dentistry that deals with the whole mouth in a more holistic approach. It's called neuromuscular dentistry. The word holistic is not a mystical new age shamanism, but simply means that the mouth and all its moving parts are taken into consideration when evaluating mouth pain; it is taken as a whole. Neuromuscular dentistry is primarily concerned with treating a common disorder of the jaw joint known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMD.

What is TMD?

It is a misaligned jaw joint. The jaw joint is in front of each ear. It's where the lower jaw (mandible) meets the temporal bone of the skull. Inflammation and pain associated with this joint occur with regularity. A neuromuscular dentist diagnoses and treats TMD.

Some of the symptoms of TMD are:
• Severe headaches
• Pain and tenderness of the jaw area
• Earaches
• Tinnitus (ringing of the ears)
• Clicking or popping of the jaw during normal operation
• Limited range of jaw motion
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Facial pain
• Tingling fingers

Some of the causes for TMD are:
• Bruxism (grinding of the teeth)
• Stress
• Malocclusion (misaligned bite)
• Inflammation of the joint such as Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Blow or impact to the side of the head

Neuromuscular dentistry

Isolating the causes and developing a comprehensive treatment plan is what neuromuscular dentistry is all about. These specially trained dentists use a wide range of evaluation techniques when attempting to discover the ideal position of the jaw, setting that as the treatment goal.

• Electromyography (electrical muscle stimulation)
• Radiography (x-rays)
• Joint vibration analysis
• Recording of jaw joint sounds

When the dentist establishes a baseline of where the position of the jaw should be, he or she begins treatment with the ultimate goal of restoring the proper alignment of the jaw to eliminate the pain and discomfort.

Treatment options

Some treatment options are not typically associated with dentists, like massage and therapy. Most treatments will include dental work to improve the bite. There may also be:
• Hot and cold packs
• Changes in diet
• Medications
• Mouth splint or guard
• Orthodontics
• Surgery

Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is commonly treated with a mouth guard worn at night. Depending on where the grinding occurs, it could be a full mouth guard that covers the pivot points in the back of the mouth, or one that is situated in the front of the mouth to relieve stress at the back of the jaw.

Each TMD treatment is individual to that person. If you have been suffering from any of the symptoms listed above, it would be worth your while to check in with an experienced neuromuscular dentist to see if you have TMD.

Contact Colonial Dental Group for more information about neuromuscular dentistry and TMD treatments.

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