TMJ Information
Neuromuscular dentistry is the scientific
art of finding and using the relaxed
position of the head and neck muscles to place the jaw into an optimal physiologic position. Thirty years of research and clinical experience have shown this technique to be effective in treating patients with various levels of head and neck pain. It is also used to find the optimal jaw
position before restorative dentistry
and greatly increases the longevity
of restorations and natural dentition.
As a neuromuscular dentist,
Dr. O’Donoghue includes the muscles,
nerves, and supporting structures of
the mouth in a thorough evaluation.
A poor bite can lead to a
wide variety of problems:
- Headaches
- Worn, chipping or cracked teeth
- Cracking, chipping or breaking dental restoration
- Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
- Neck, should or back pain
- Facial pain
- Clicking, popping or grating sounds
in the jaw joints
- Limited jaw movement or locking jaw
- Numbness in you fingers and arms
- Congestion or stuffiness of the ears
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These problems occur when the
muscles of your jaw are not in their
optimal relaxed position.
Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD),
Myofascial Pain Dysfunction (MPD), or
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ) is a chronic condition that affects 40 million people at any given time. Worn, shifted, chipped or broken teeth as well as broken fillings are signs of a misaligned bite (occlusal disease). Treating the cause of these problems begins with the
underlying conditions.
To correct TMD or misaligned bite, the jaw
is brought back into a muscularly balanced
position, through sophisticated computer analysis. We use low frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation (TENS) to relax the head and neck muscles and determine a muscularly-oriented jaw-to-skull relationship. We also use TENS in combination with jaw tracking to close
the jaw and find a position that is
compatible with the relaxed muscles.
Electromyography (EMG) is used to
objectively look at the electrical activity
in the muscles and sonography (ESG)
to evaluate joint noises.
Sophisticated instruments have been
used in medical specialties for years
and are being used in dentistry to measure muscle dysfunction of the jaw, a major component in many headaches. This data is analyzed and combined with tomographic radiographs (specialized x-rays of the joint) to diagnose the problem. Once the problem is
diagnosed, an individualized treatment
plan is developed that most often leads
to improvement and or elimination of
pain.
We have been able to help many
people, who previously have been
unable to find relief, with new
techniques and objective computerized
data.
Whether you are considering major restorative work or suffering from chronic TMJ pain, neuromuscular dentistry can have a positive long-term impact on the outcome of your treatment and your overall health.
We invite you to talk with us about how the neuromuscular approach to your dentistry can enhance your life.
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