Jaw Pain (TMJ) Relief
The Unionville Dentistry Team is one of the first groups in Canada to be involved in the philosophy of Neuro-Muscular Dentistry. Neuro-Muscular Dentistry is based upon the ability to objectively measure muscle function and correlate it to a proper jaw posture and its movements in function.
This technique improves a person's "bite" and can help alleviate symptoms ranging from headaches, neck and back aches, to numbness, pain in jaw joints and many others that may initially seem to be unrelated. Neuro-muscular Dentistry is used to treat TMJ.
TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) 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).
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 and clicking and 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 (myofascial pain dysfunction).
TMJ is treated by neuromuscular dentistry. 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. Neuromuscular dentists understand that your hard and soft tissues have a complex relationship and work to make that relationship a harmonious one. Neuromuscular dentists understand the necessity for including the power source (muscles) and the controls (nerves), which create the movement, pressures, and function of the mouth.
