TMJ
Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD) is a common condition affecting as many as four out of every five people. TMD is often referred to as TMJ and is also known as Myofacial Pain Syndrome or Cranio-mandibular Dysfunction. TMD is a complex problem with multiple contributing factors and varying levels of severity.
Do you have these symptoms?
- Frequent headaches
- Severe / migraine headaches
- Jaw joint pain
- Jaw joint noise
- Ear congestion
- Dizziness
- Ringing in the ears
- Difficulty swallowing
- Clenching / grinding
- Facial pain / fatigue
- Sensitive teeth
- Neck pain
- Postural problems
- Tingling of the fingertips
- Nervousness or insomnia
- Snoring or Sleep Apnea
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
Our Goal: To relieve or eliminate pain and other TMD symptoms and restore physiologic harmony to the structures of the head and neck area.
The health of your bite is a major factor to consider in TMD. Your bite (the way your upper and lower teeth fit together) is determined by three main factors. These factors are your teeth, your jaw joints and the muscles that move them. When there is disharmony between these three factors the signs and symptoms of TMD begin to appear. It is at this point that your health and well-being begins to deteriorate as symptoms worsen.
What Causes TMD?
Several Conditions may be related to TMD, but they can be quite varied. They are often difficult to pin point and in some cases it's not possible to clearly determine the cause. The joints, ligaments, and muscles used for chewing and grinding food may all be involved.
Some TM problems result from arthritis, dislocation or injury. These conditions can cause pain and dysfunction. Muscles that move the joints are also subject to injury and disease.
Injuries to the jaw, head or neck, and diseases such as arthritis might result in some TM problems. Other factors that relate to the way the teeth fit together - the bite - may cause TMD. Stress is thought to be a factor. TMD affects women of childbearing age more than other people.
Neuromuscular Dentistry
The growing field of Neuromuscular Dentistry is helping thousands of people who suffer from TMD. The incredible success of the neuromuscular approach to TMD therapy lies in its ability to effectively treat the source of the dysfunction, rather than simply remedy the symptoms. Neuromuscular Dentistry recognizes that all three factors of the bite (occlusion) must function together in harmony for true health and comfort to exist. By applying your body’s natural laws of physiology and muscle isotonicity, the proper equilibrium can be restored to your masticatory system, leaving you healthy and feeling comfortable at last, without the use of potentially harmful medications. The benefits of this care extend far beyond those people suffering from chronic pain and migraine headaches. Neuromuscular principles can be applied to almost everyone, offering a lifetime of comfort, health and longevity for both you and your precious smile.
Call us TODAY if you think you may be suffering from TMD.