More people in the United States suffer from chronic pain than from diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke or cancer, and a significant number of those sufferers have pain relate to TMD or temporomandibular joint disorder. TMD can be so painful and debilitating that it can have devastating effects on sufferers’ lives. When a TMD headache or migraine begins, it can be difficult to even drive, much less function during a full day of work or study. And TMD is often misdiagnosed, treated inappropriately or simply masked with the use of painkillers.
We’d like to offer hope for TMD sufferers in Caldwell with neuromuscular dental treatments.
What Exactly is TMD?
TMD is not one simple disease or disorder. It is a group of disorders that affect all parts of the jaw – or temporomandibular – joint, along with the corresponding muscles and teeth. The symptoms of TMD are varied and can include anything from popping, grinding or clicking in the jaw to disturbing and disruptive symptoms such as headaches and migraines, loose teeth, tingling or numbness in fingers or arms, even depression and insomnia.
While many people refer to TMD as TMJ, the TMJ is actually the joint being referred to – the temporomandibular joint. These joints are located on either side of the head just in front of the ears. If you place your fingers over these joints and open and close your mouth, you can feel the complex movement they have to go through for simple acts such as chewing, yawning or speaking.
What Causes TMD?
It is difficult to pinpoint one reason for TMD or TMJ disorder. Many patients we see have multiple factors that have contributed to the development. Often TMD begins with something as simple as an unbalanced restoration that throws the bite out of alignment and puts stress on the joint. Other causes range from trauma or injury from accidents, stress and loss of teeth. Grinding or clenching during sleep or in stressful situations are also major contributors to TMD.
How can Neuromuscular Dentistry Help Me?
We begin all treatments TMJ disorder treatments with an in-depth assessment to determine the optimal position of the jaw. We get your head and neck muscles into their ideal, relaxed position and take measurements of this position. Once this position is determined, we will most likely prescribe an orthotic to help hold your bite in that comfortable position and train your mouth into place. We may also find that we need to reshape your teeth in order to make the realignment of your bite permanent using crowns or by reshaping your tooth enamel.
Patients are amazed at how effective neuromuscular dentistry is in relieving even chronic pain! It can be life changing!