TMJ Treatment

Serving Maryland in Annapolis

Neuromuscular dentistry is the art and science of using the relaxed position of the muscles of the head and neck 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 in finding the optimal jaw position before restorative dentistry and greatly increases the longevity of restorations and natural dentition.

Many suffer from Myofascial Pain Dysfunction (MPD) and are not sure of the nature of their condition and how to solve it. You may have heard other terms that describe this condition such as TMJ syndrome (Tempromandibular Joint Syndrome), Craniomandibular Dysfunction (CMD) or Tempromandibular Joint Disorder (TMD).

If You Suffer From:

• Headaches
• Unexplained loose teeth
• Worn, chipping or cracked teeth
• Cracking, chipping or breaking dental restorations
• Jaw pain or soreness around the jaw joints
• Pain in teeth that seems to move around
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Facial pain
• Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
• Limited movement or locking jaw
• Numbness in your fingers and arms
• Congestion or stuffiness of the ears

Then We May Be Able To Help You

The underlying conditions that cause these signs and symptoms are structural, biochemical and emotional. The structural problem is almost always present and leads to over activation of the jaw, head and neck muscles. Over a period of time, it can lead to pain, tension and spasms.

Tempromandibular joint disorder (TMD), Myofascial Pain Dysfunction (MPD) or Tempromandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), is a chronic illness that affects 40 million people at any one time. There are many people who have no pain but still have occlusal disease (misaligned bite). Worn, chipped or broken teeth, broken fillings, changing position or shape of the smile are all indications that can benefit from treatment.

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 muscles of the head and neck and determine a muscularly-oriented jaw-to-skull relationship. TENS is also used to relieve pain caused by spasm and tension by releasing endorphins, the body's own natural pain killers. We also use TENS to close the jaw in combination with jaw tracking to 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. These 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 objective collection of data is then analyzed and combined with tomographic radiographs (specialized joint x-rays) to diagnose the problem. An individualized and precise treatment plan is developed that most often leads to improvement and/or elimination of pain.

BioTENS UNIT

Tens Unit - We often utilize a Tens Unit to help relax the muscles so an accurate bite registration can be taken.  If the muscles are in spasm, it can be impossible to register the bite properly. For many patients, the muscles may not have any pain or symptoms but can have a level of muscle activity that makes registering the bite very difficult if it is desired to register the bite with the muscles relaxed.   The Myomonitor (Tens Unit) operates on a 9 volt battery and provides a mild stimulation to the muscles so there is contraction and then no stimulation so there is relaxation.  This helps to deprogram the muscles so they forget where the teeth are.  Now we can register the bite where the muscles want to be.

BioJVA™ Fast and Accurate

JVA provides a fast, non-invasive, and repeatable measurement of TMJ function to aid in your diagnosis of TMJ function.  Understanding TMJ function is vital anytime you are changing the vertical, lateral, or A/P position of the mandible.  Common treatments that change mandibular position such as TMD treatment, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Reconstruction and Sleep Dentistry can all benefit from JVA testing.

How it works

Human joints have surfaces which rub together in function.  Smooth, well lubricated surfaces in a proper biomechanical relationship produce little friction and little vibration.  But surface changes, such as those caused by degeneration, tears, or displacements of the disk, generally produce friction and vibration.  Different disorders can produce different vibration patterns or “signatures”.  PC-assisted vibration analysis helps identify these patterns and helps you distinguish among various TM disorders.

Read about treatments used for full-mouth reconstruction.

For formal advice regarding TMJ treatment in Annapolis, contact Maryland TMD dentist Dr. Kian Djawdan today to schedule an initial consultation.