Neuromuscular Dentistry
What does a neuromuscular dentist do? You may or may not have heard of neuromuscular dentistry. But chances are, you’re not quite sure what it means. How does it differ from normal dentistry, or cosmetic dentistry?
Neuromuscular dentistry focuses on the healthy relationship among the teeth, jaw joints, and head and neck muscles.
Occlusion (The alignment of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws when brought together) is the foundation of dentistry. It is of key importance in the success of every major dental procedure. Occlusion is affected by a triad of factors — the teeth, the muscles and the temporomandibular joints. Traditional dentistry has focused on the teeth — what might be called "one-dimensional" dentistry. Neuromuscular Dentistry (NMD) is a term that has been applied to the additional consideration of the "second & third dimensions" — muscles and TM joints.
If you suffer from any of the following symptoms, a neuromuscular dentist may be able to help you. Click on any of the symptoms for more information about the symptom and how a neuromuscular dentist can help relieve your pain.
Dr. Kelly utilizes sophisticated instruments in their practice of neuromuscular dentistry to find the position of the jaw where the jaws, teeth, and muscles operate in harmony.
The first goal of neuromuscular dentistry is to find the position of the jaw where the muscles are relaxed and at rest. This is a three dimensional position in space and is often irrespective to the position of the teeth.
In a harmonious bite, the teeth, jaw joints, and muscles can work together without strain or tension. The biting surfaces of upper and lower teeth fit together neatly, and the jaw joints work smoothly. The muscles on both sides of the face are relaxed when you are not chewing or swallowing, and when you do chew or swallow, these muscles contract evenly to bring the teeth together.
When there's a problem with the bite, upper and lower teeth don't come together correctly. A problem bite often exists when teeth are missing, misaligned, or worn down. In this situation, the muscles must use extra force, and the jaw joints often shift position in order to bring the teeth together. And when you are not chewing, your jaw muscles may not fully relax, even though they feel normal to you. Over time, this can cause the muscles and joints to become sore, tired and stiff. A bad bite, together with tense, strained muscles, can lead to a variety of problems and can also shorten the life of crowns, veneers, and other dental restorations through damage or excess wear.
So how do we determine the proper placement and develop a corrective treatment plan? We utilize the premiere system for occlusal (The alignment of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws when brought together) evaluation - The K7 Evaluation System.
K7/CMS Computerized Mandibular Scanner
Multiple sensors in an extremely light weight (four ounce) spectacle-like array, track the motion of the jaw muscles. Even small variations (or jumps) can be recorded on detailed scans. These scans are invaluable three dimensional representation of mandibular rest, the relaxed neuromuscular path of closure, centric occlusion, habitual path of closure. They provide guidance that aids the clinician in recording an optimal occlusal position.
K7/EMG Eight Channel Electromyograph
Utilizing high quality bipolar surface electrodes, surface EMG data can be taken from up to eight muscle sites simultaneously and in real time. The program permits taking electromyography data either at rest or in function.
K7/ESG Electrosonograph
TMJ Vibration (Sound) Evaluation System. A lightweight headset holds highly sensitive vibration transducers over each TM joint, enabling simultaneous, bilateral capture of tissue vibrations emanating from joint sounds. Vibration (sound) data is correlated to vertical dimension of opening and closing, providing clinicians with valuable information to aid in assessing the status of articular disk and joint function.
Headaches / Migraines
Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of a neuromuscular (temporomandibular joint) problem. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, and the Neuromuscular headache is a tension type of headache. It is often described as a feeling of wearing a hat two sizes too small, with pain in a ring around the head, or as a migraine headache.
There are a few TMJ-related causes for tension headaches. Constant contraction of muscle fibers within a muscle, create tension, pressure or a tight feeling in the face and head, but constant tight muscle fibers prevent or reduce blood flow to that area. The body sends more blood to the areas and this can result an increase in general blood pressure to the muscles and head, sometimes referred to as vascular headaches. Clenching and grinding the teeth, which are TMJ symptoms, produce pain from the muscles in the head, which is a headache.
Unfortunately, these headaches can be so frequent or severe that they are frequently misdiagnosed and treated as migraine headaches.
The pain from muscle headaches can be blocked with medications, or nerves cut with brain surgery or muscles somewhat relaxed with muscle and psychological therapy, but the cause of the disease and damage from the bad bite, malocclusion, will persist. Side effects with medications, complications from brain surgery, and limited results with muscle or psychological therapy do not correct the source of the problem. Neuromuscular dentistry ensures the muscles are happy because they do not have to work hard positioning the teeth to a strained bite.
By putting the musculature back into alignment and placing the jaw into its optimal position, neuromuscular dentistry can alleviate most headache problems related to TMJ, muscle, nerve and joint disorders. Now is the time to do something about those headaches.
Facial Pain
Facial pain is one of the symptoms that can arise when a patient’s bite is not properly aligned, Neuromuscular dysfunctions and a number of related symptoms can arise. One of these symptoms is facial pain.
The jaw area of the face is a complex network of bones, joints, muscles, and nerves. When the jaw becomes unaligned, the surrounding bones, muscles, and nerves are also affected. This includes the muscles of the face, which experience strain or spasm because the muscles are working extra hard to compensate for the unstable bite.
A neuromuscular dentist can help facial pain problems by working with the source of the problem, the bite. Your neuromuscular dentist will stabilize and realign your bite so that the teeth, muscles, and joints all work together without strain. Now is the time to do something about that facial pain.
Neck and Shoulder Pain
Having a “bad bite” (malocclusion) causes an imbalance in the jaw-to-skull relationship, which in turn twists the jaw into a strained position that refers pain to the muscles in the neck, shoulders, and back.
Muscles work as a team. Seldom does a single muscle work without other muscles in the team joining in. The bones in the neck, especially the atlas and axis, are intimately involved with the muscles of chewing, biting, talking, breathing, and head posture. Sore, tight, contracted muscles of the jaw will tilt the head and shoulders causing compensation from neck, shoulder and back muscles. Although the neuromuscular dentist does not claim to treat neck, back, shoulder, or arm pain, patients are pleased how frequently these problems can be relieved.
Neuromuscular dentists understand that the bones, joints, muscles, and nerves in the face and neck have a complex relationship. They work to correct the bite, relieving strain on the jaw and the surrounding muscles. Once the bite has been aligned, resulting pain in many areas of the body disappears. Get started today to eliminate that neck and shoulder pain.
Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)
Tinnitus, or Ringing in the ears, is another symptom of Neuromuscular dysfunction that is commonly misdiagnosed and often goes untreated or is treated ineffectively. In many cases ringing in the ears is one of the results of having a strained bite in which the jaw is not aligned. The jaw area of the face is a complex network of muscles and nerves, and when the bite is misaligned muscles and nerves throughout the head, including the ears, can be affected.
If your neuromuscular dentist diagnoses the cause of your tinnitus to be an unstable or misaligned bite, he or she can work with the source of the problem by stabilizing and realigning the bite so that the entire jaw area works together without pain. Your bite will be back to its normal position, relieving the ringing in your ears that was caused by the misaligned bite. Get after that Tinnitus, or ringing in your ears, now
Sensitive Teeth and Sore Teeth
Sensitive teeth or sore teeth are common symptoms of a neuromuscular disorder. If the teeth are the cause of the symptoms then any or all of the teeth may be sore. The teeth may also become sensitive because of clenching or grinding the teeth, a common action in many people, when the disc of the TMJ is displaced.
Unfortunately, when seeking relief from this tooth pain many patients are misdiagnosed and may even go as far as having the nerve from the tooth removed with root canals or even having the tooth extracted. The worst part is that these measures may not relieve the pain, and can actually make it worse!
Neuromuscular dentists relieve sensitive and sore teeth related to TMJ by going to the source of the problem—the “bad bite” and misaligned jaw. In most cases, correction of the bite can be accomplished without the use of surgery, and patients report long-lasting pain relief. Get rid of that pain associated with sensitive teeth or sore teeth.
Jaw Pain
Jaw pain is a very common symptom of a Neuromuscular disorder because it is a dysfunction of the muscles and how they are related to the jaw joint . A “bad bite” in which your upper and lower teeth do not come together in proper alignment also disrupts the placement of the jaw and the surrounding muscles. This imbalance in the bite-jaw-muscle relationship is what causes the pain in the jaw. Pressure and forces on the teeth can cause bone to dissolve or extra boney projections to be built up.
A neuromuscular dentist can help alleviate jaw pain related to TMJ by realigning the bite. Once the jaw is back into its most relaxed position the surrounding muscles can also resume their natural function. Get help for your jaw pain today.
Limited Jaw Movement or Locking Jaw
Limited jaw movement or locking jaw may feel like the lower jaw is catching when the jaw is opened. In some cases a person with a locked jaw must move the jaw to one side or the other in order to open the mouth wide. A person might also have to open the mouth until a popping sound is heard and felt, at which point the jaw unlocks.
Limited jaw movement or locking jaw is often a result of a “bad bite.” When the bite is not aligned correctly it causes problems in the jaw joint, the TMJ (temporomandibular joint). The unaligned bite can result in locking jaw, clicking or popping in the jaw, and headaches.
Neuromuscular dentistry realigns the bite by measuring the jaw in its most relaxed position and then putting the jaw back into its natural position. In most cases this repositioning can be accomplished without braces or surgery. Get that limited jaw movement corrected.
Numbness or Tingling in Hands / Arms
Numbness and Tingling in the hands and/or arms can be caused by a variety of problems. One potential source is the nerves and muscles in the jaw area of the face. These are very complex, so when your bite is off, these nerves and muscles are also affected. A misaligned bite can cause the muscles throughout the jaw, face, neck and shoulders to go into spasm. When these muscles (scalenes) are in spasm they can pinch the nerves (brachial plexis) leading down the arms and into the hands, which in turn results in feelings of numbness or tingling.
Neuromuscular dentists can help you with numbness or tingling in your hands or arms by working with the source of the problem—your bite. Once your bite is aligned, the muscles affected by the jaw joint will be able to go back to their normal function, relieving the spasm and the numbness and tingling that are felt as a result. Get help with that numbness.
Clicking Jaw or Popping Jaw
Clicking jaw, popping jaw, or snapping in the jaw joint is the most common symptom of TMJ. There may or may not be pain in the jaw when the clicking or popping sound is heard. The clicking sound may even be so loud that others can hear it when you chew or speak.
Usually the cause of the popping jaw is a displaced disc in the jaw. The jaw joints are ball and socket joints, just like the shoulder joint. When ball and socket joints are functioning properly, the ball and socket do not touch because of a thin disc of cartilage located between the ball and socket. This disc of cartilage is held in place and guided by a muscle.
If your bite is not right or trauma tears the tissues the jaw joint is pulled out of alignment, and the disc is typically pulled forward or torn. Now that the cartilage disc is not serving as a cushion between the ball and socket these bones are rubbing against each other and pressing on nerves, causing pain in the jaw and clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint. The muscles holding the disc in place are now strained as well, causing additional pain in the jaw and face as well as in the head, neck, back and shoulders.
Neuromuscular Dentistry works to realign the bite, which also realigns the displaced disc. Once the jaw is realigned and the disc is back in place the clicking and popping sounds in the jaw stop and the muscles holing the disc in place can relax, alleviating the jaw, face, head, neck, back, and shoulder pain that resulted. Get help with that clicking jaw, popping jaw, or snapping coming from your jaw.
Depression and Fatigue
Depression, while not a physical symptom, often accompanies Neuromuscular disorders. The majority of people suffering from Neuromuscular dysfunction also suffer from depression, usually as a result of their condition being so commonly misdiagnosed or dismissed as having no physical cause. There is also scientific evidence that shows that patients with chronic pain, a condition that nearly all Neuromuscualr patients can claim, have chemical changes in the brain as a result of the pain. These chemicals can cause depression.
Because Neuromuscular dysfunction is a multifaceted disorder, many patients need to work with more than one specialist to return to optimal health. Some patients work with a neuromuscular dentist as well as a psychological counselor and sometimes a chiropractor or physician. However, other patients experience complete pain relief from the treatment their neuromuscular dentist provides and the peace of mind that comes from having their condition diagnosed and treated. Speak with your neuromuscular dentist about your personal needs. Get help with that depression.
