Neuromuscular Services
Do you suffer from chronic pain in your jaw and face, experience “popping” sounds when you chew and talk or have symptoms such as headaches or lockjaw? If so, the problem may be TMJ.
This condition affects more than 10 million people in the U.S. alone. And it’s more than just painful – over time it can cause serious damage to your jaws and teeth.
TMJ Dysfunction is a popular term to describe a disorder of the jaw joints or the muscles that control the joints. Symptoms masquerade as a multitude of other problems such as sinus headaches, migraines, neck and shoulder stiffness and earaches.
Dr. Dahlkemper successfully treats TMJ and Migraines. She is experienced in TMJ diagnosis and treatment and can pinpoint the source of your pain and provide relief using the very latest in gentle, nonsurgical treatments.
Bruxism – Clenching & Grinding
It’s called bruxism, and often it happens as we sleep, caused not just by stress and anxiety but by sleep disorders, an abnormal bite or teeth that are missing or crooked. In the United States, bruxism affects an estimated 30 to 40 million children and adults.
Symptoms include a dull headache or a sore jaw. You could have teeth that are painful or loose from severe grinding. This can lead to fractures in your teeth.
Dr. Dahlkemper can evaluate each patient to see what type of appliance will work best.
To put it simply, neuromuscular dentistry places the jaw into its optimal position, relieving the symptoms associated with TMJ. While traditional dentistry evaluates primarily the teeth, bones, and gums, neuromuscular dentistry works with the hard tissues and the soft tissues, muscles and nerves. Dr D understands that your hard and soft tissues have a complex relationship and works to make that relationship a harmonious one. Neuromuscular dentists understand the necessity for including the power source (muscles) and the controls (nerves) that create the movement, pressures, and function of the mouth. When the jaw is misaligned, both the hard and soft tissues are affected and many physiological problems can result, such as headaches, jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint. In a number of cases, these symptoms are the result of TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome), also referred to as TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) or MPD (myofacial pain dysfunction). TMJ is a chronic degenerative disease that often takes years to develop. TMJ affects millions of people. People who suffer from TMJ have an imbalance in the jaw-to-skull relationship, which is caused by a bad bite (malocclusion).
Neuromuscular Dentistry serves to correct the bite and realign the jaw. First Dr. Dahlkemper determines the optimal position of the jaw by measuring the relaxed position of the head and neck muscles, and then repositions the jaw to achieve those exact measurements. Treatment options include adjusting the bite, orthotics, orthodontics, or restoring the teeth to their correct positions.
Symptoms
If you suffer from any of the following symptoms, Dr. Dahlkemper may be able to help you.
- Headaches / Migraines
- Facial Pain
- Neck and Shoulder Pain
- Tinnitus (Ringing In The Ears)
- Unexplained Loose Teeth
- Sensitive and Sore Teeth
- Jaw Pain
- Limited Jaw Movement or Locking Jaw
- Numbness or Tingling in the Fingers, Hands and Arms
- Worn or Cracked Teeth
- Clicking or Popping Jaw Joints
- Depression/Anxiety
- Insomnia
TMJ / TMD Diagnosis
Neuromuscular dentists use state-of-the-art technology to determine if your symptoms are caused by malocclusion and if so, what your optimal jaw position is. Dr. Dahlkemper uses computerized jaw tracking instruments to record jaw movement, resting position, and path of closure. Electromyography is used to measure your jaw’s muscle function in both its stressed and relaxed positions, and will also measure the jaw-to-skull relationship to see if there is a structural imbalance. Sonography is used to record jaw joint sounds to detect any abnormalities. Additionally, a CBCT of the jaw may be taken to help evaluate the condition and positioning of the joint.
TMJ / TMD Treatment
Once Dr. Dahlkemper has diagnosed you with TMD, she can determine the best course of treatment for your specific needs. Typically treatment will follow three steps:
1. Relieve muscle spasm and pain.
The immediate concern for Neuromuscular dentists is to provide relief of your symptoms. The best way to do this is by using a technology called ULF-TENS. ULF-TENS stands for Ultra Low Frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation, but don’t let this term intimidate you. Basically, ULF-TENS is a way to relax muscles with a gentle massage of the muscles. The rhythmic pulsing relaxes the muscles by increasing blood flow and pumping out waste products. ULF-TENS also helps with pain relief by stimulating the body’s production of endorphins, the body’s natural anesthetic.
2. Stabilize the bite.
Often for this step a temporary device, known as an orthotic is worn over the teeth. The orthotic allows your neuromuscular dentists to make easy adjustments to the plastic without adjusting the teeth until the bite is stabilized. Once symptoms are relieved and the bite has been stabilized, your dentist will move on to the next step and permanently adjust your bite to the correct jaw position.
3. Long-term management.
There are a variety of ways to correct your bite in a more permanent way. Four of the most common of these approaches are outlined below:
- Coronoplasty/Equilibration
Coronoplasty is smoothing and reshaping the enamel of the teeth to correct your bite. It is a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia and can be used when the bite is only slightly misaligned.
- Reconstruction
This approach involves making the teeth higher by using crowns. This permanently realigns the bite and provides structural support for the jaw.
- Orthodontics (Braces)
When the teeth are healthy they may be moved to the optimal position using braces.
Benefits
Patients of neuromuscular dentistry experience a range of benefits from decreased or eliminated pain and discomfort to better overall health and longer-lasting dental restorations.