Ending the Daily Grind
TMD causes an assortment of painful symptoms, including teeth grinding. Fear not—neuromuscular dentistry can help you get your ideal bite back.
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A bad bite also can affect your posture. Changes to the bite, whether from wear, trauma, dental work or sleeping habits, cause muscles to continually contract to keep the teeth together. When that happens, the person may alter the way he stands or holds his head to accommodate for the sore muscles, resulting in pain and tension in the head, neck, shoulder and back.
Dealing with constant headaches, neck aches, shoulder or face pain can be debilitating. But diagnosing the symptoms and treating TMD with neuromuscular dentistry is painless and noninvasive.
Neuromuscular dentists conduct computerized tests to track, measure, and analyze muscle activity and jaw movement.
“We think that because you can measure it on a computer, it is much more of a science,” says Dr. Michael T. Rosen, a neuromuscular dentist in Wilmington.
One test is electromyography, which uses the same technology as an electrocardiogram. The EMG measures and records the activity of prominent head and neck muscles attached to the lower jaw. These muscles are responsible for moving the lower jaw, maintaining head posture and keeping the lower teeth close to the upper ones.
By measuring the stress in this musculature, the dentist can identify which muscles are working overtime to compensate for a bad bite. They can compare muscle activity before and after relaxation.
The dentist will then relax the muscles through stimulation. Transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation relieves pain caused by spasms or muscle tension. The TENS machine exercises the facial and jaw muscles, causing them to twitch every second and a half for about 45 minutes. When the muscles are relaxed, the muscle activity is ready to be recorded again.
The dentist will also conduct a computerized mandibular scanning. This test tracks the movement of the lower jaw within 0.2 millimeters. A tiny magnet is placed below the lower front teeth and a lightweight headgear is positioned over the head like a pair of glasses. As the jaw moves, the magnet transmits information to a computer that allows the dentist to track how far the lower jaw shifts backward and sideways. This test provides a baseline for future changes or improvements.
Another test to diagnose TMD is Doppler sonography, which employs the same technology as the echocardiogram. This test indicates the extent of damage to the temporomandibular joint. The test detects clicking or popping in the jaw when it opens and closes.
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