Teeth, muscles and joints…OH MY!

What most people do not know about the mouth-body connection.

The misalignment of the bite as temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorder is known as TMJD(also popularly referred as TMJ or lockjaw). It affects more than 15 percent of American adults and is particularly prevalent among women (INCLUDING MYSELF!). In addition to frequent headaches, common TMJD symptoms include pain in the neck, clicking or popping of the jaw, clenching or grinding, swallowing problems, dizziness, ringing in the ears, tingling of the fingertips, and nervousness, insomnia and posture problems. With our training in neuromuscular dentistryand our advanced technology, we are able to resolve these problems by adjusting the bite to its optimal functionality.  We are able to more accurately diagnose and treat improper jaw alignment with the help of our new TENS unit.  The TENS unit (“Transcutaneous Electro Neural Stimulation") relaxes the muscles of your face and neck to help determine the proper trajectory or "path of closure" for your jaw. TENSing is mild electrical stimulation of your facial muscles that typically is done over a period of 45-60 minutes while you relax and read or watch TV at our office.
If it is determined that your bite is the likely cause of the pain, we identify a new jaw position that leaves your jaw muscles in a more relaxed state. Options may include reshaping the enamel of the teeth; reconstruction, which involves making the teeth higher by using crowns to permanently realign the bite; and moving teeth to optimal position with orthodontic appliances, such as braces or Invisalign.

To make things even more interesting, did you know that the function of the upper airway is connected to the mouth, and often a narrow dental arch is the cause for a restricted sinus? This in turn may make it necessary to breathe regularly through the mouth, and this can cause problems such as an open bite, which is when the back teeth come together but leave a space in the front. This also can contribute to speech and sleep disorders.  Recent research is finding that sleep problems in children and adults are resulting in attention deficit problems.

In order to treat skeletal and dental alignment problems we often use appliance therapy, especially in children to PREVENT these problems from occurring. A functional appliance is similar to a retainer in that it is often removable, but different in that is produces a change rather than holding everything in place. A functional appliance may be fixed (“glued”) in the mouth if necessary. The goal of a functional appliance is to alter pediatric growth for a more favorable cosmetic or medical result. For example, it is possible to control the width of the dental arch or the way bone fills in the face by wearing an appliance that puts pressure on certain key points. A functional appliance can make a dramatic difference in the cosmetic outcome of growth and development. We typically implement this type of treatment at or around the time of the pubescent growth spurt, often before all permanent teeth have erupted.

Occasionally, it may be medically necessary to begin treatment at an even earlier age, especially to correct more severe facial abnormalities. This is why the American Association of Orthodontists suggests that children should be screened for orthodontic treatment at 7 years of age. We will never implement treatment that is unnecessary; rather, sometimes early correction can avoid more costly treatment including maxillofacial surgery in the future. The key to orthodontic treatment at our office is a stable bite, which keeps the muscles of the face from causing a relapse and possibly resulting in TMD.