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Is it nerves? Is it muscles? Do you get headaches on a consistent basis? Do you blame it on stress? You are not alone. Using a neuromuscular approach to treating patients can help the many headache sufferers. But what exactly is it? Neuromuscular dentistry is nothing new. Actually, it has been around for some 30 years, but is not the traditional approach to patient care in dentistry. It refers to the muscles of the head and neck, the nerves related to them and how they all work together.
The symptoms of neuromuscular disharmony are related to the ”TMJ” or temporomandibular joint. Many patients complain that their jaw pops and clicks. They often complain of pain around the joint. If you have these symptoms, then you are not alone. In reality however, 99% of people do not have true “TMJ” problems. Unless trauma or injury is involved, pain from the joint comes from the surrounding muscles and get them relaxed, then the majority of symptoms will resolve. But what are the symptoms? As you read them, think of how many apply to you.
- Headaches ore migraines
- Pain or pressure in and about the eyes
- Sinus problems
- Tinnitus ( ringing in the ear)
- Clogging or stuffiness of the ears
- Subjective hearing loss
- Pain in or around the jaw
- Stiffness or soreness in the neck, shoulders and back
- Radiating pain down your arm to your fingers
- Snoring
- Vertigo (dizziness)
- Habits of grinding
- Clenching your teeth
- Sensitive teeth
These are just a few of the symptoms that may be related to
neuromuscular disharmony. Make no mistake headaches are not
just from stress. Neck and shoulder problems are not just
from sitting at a computer for many hours. Sinus problems are
not just from allergies. But how does all this relate to your
teeth? If you have ever seen a person with no teeth in their
mouth, it almost appears as if their chin can touch their nose.
That is because their teeth are not present to create a vertical
stop as to how far they can close. Well, just because you have
teeth does not mean that you close at the correct position. As
you use your teeth they wear and shorten, causing you to be over-closed
when your teeth are in contact. Now here is where the muscles
come into play. At complete rest, your teeth are separated by
a certain amount. Dentists call this freeway space. When it is
time for your teeth to be put to use for eating or chewing, the
muscles contract. Now imagine that you have worn or shortened
teeth. Your freeway space is larger than ideal, and the muscles
have to contract more to get the teeth to make contact. The muscles
do not like this and compensate by staying perpetually contracted,
causing spasms, pain and soreness. After a while they get fatigued,
produce lactic acid (which is what causes the spasms and discomforts)
. With the use of electromyography (electrical muscle activity),
joint sonography (sound), jaw tracking, muscle palpation, and
the most simple test of all, asking you about your symptoms,
the probable can be diagnosed and treated accurately and conservatively.
So next time you reach for the advil for that afternoon headache,
think of what it would be like to be headache free and come in
for your comprehensive exam today. I look forward to improving
the quality or your life. |
