Of course we all know that the dentist is the person to contact when teeth or gum problems arise. There are other issues, however, that can also be tackled by dentistry. Did you know that some types of headaches, neck pain, facial pain, or ringing in the ears can be caused by misalignment in the bite? TMJ disorder affects the way the jaw opens and closes, as well as the muscles and nerves of the face. In addition to pain, sufferers may experience difficulty moving the jaw, or a clicking or popping when the jaw opens or closes.
It is important for those with TMJ disorder to get a proper diagnosis, as well as treatment from a trained neuromuscular dentist. These treatments can often be life-changing, allowing those suffering the frustration of headaches or other pain to be able to relax again. It all starts with bite analysis, which is conducted on a computer and helps the dentist evaluate what the problems are in the mouth and jaw.
For some patients, the analysis will indicated a dental orthosis as a next step. This is a plastic guard that fits over the teeth to hold the bite in the correct place. If the patient’s symptoms are reduced or alleviated as a result, this helps tell the dentist that the issue is most likely related to bite problems, at which point a plan can be constructed to correct the bite and eliminate the symptoms for good.
Often people worry that this automatically means surgery, but there are many procedures and methods for treating TMJ disorder that are non-invasive. This can include analgesics and anti-inflammatory medication, stress management techniques, physical therapy, or changes in diet. For those who need restorative dentistry, orthodontics can help place the teeth in the correct position, or bite plates can be used to reduce clenching and grinding while positioning the bite. Surgery is only needed in cases where other methods would not be effective, and is of course used only in cases where it is absolutely necessary to correct the problem.
If you suffer from headaches or other pain that doesn’t have a good explanation, it’s certainly worth it to come in for a consultation. The sooner you learn about the source of your problems, the sooner steps can be taken to fix them.
James from Fairfax had headaches all his life. His TMJ joints popped and clicked all the time, and he couldn’t bring his back molars together. Since molars protect the joints, and since they don’t touch, his joints have been deteriorating over the years. We treated his TMJ by creating an orthotic for him to wear 24/7. The orthotic was specially designed to allow his facial muscles to be at rest, allowing for a relief of stress on the TMJ. Within a week, his TMJ pain was a distant memory. With the pain gone, he was able to do his personal best in weightlifting. When he had to go a few days without his orthotic, his headaches and popping and clicking returned. We hope eventually to move him into porcelain for a permanent resolution of his issues. .
Rebecca came to us with her right jaw locked. She told us she suffered from headaches, shoulder and neck pain, clenching, and grinding. She also experienced tingling in her fingertips. She had spent thousands of dollars on root canals and MRIs to treat dental pain, and she was in treatment with a neurologist for migraine therapy once a month. She told us her neurologist did not attribute her headaches to TMD. We ran some scans on her and quickly determined that she was in fact suffering from advanced TMD. We were able to temporarily relieve her pain and unlock her jaw through TENSing, which also helped us establish a good bite for her, that is a bite with her jaw in the proper position in to relieve the TMD. We created a temporary removable orthotic to reposition her jaw, but at that point we were unsure whether our treatment would be capable of getting the disc back on the post. If we could not accomplish that, she would have to see an oral surgeon to review further options.
The result was immediate relief. Her jaw unlocked and has remained so, and she was able to almost double the distance she was able to open her mouth (from 25mm to 42mm). Her migraines have ceased, and she is no longer afraid to open her mouth. In fact, Rebecca is so pleased with the relief she has when she wears her orthotic, she drove all the way from Winchester to have us make her a new orthotic when she lost the first one we provided. The next step for Rebecca is permanent correction of her bite through either orthodontics or porcelain work to eliminate the need for the orthotic. We are so happy to be a part of Rebecca’s recovery from TMD.
Chronic migraine sufferers are finding relief where you would least expect it – in a dentist’s chair. A trip to a specially–trained dentist could provide relief from pain caused by temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorder, or TMD – which is at the root of migraine and tension headaches. In addition to chronic headaches and migraines, TMD has been linked to grinding of the teeth, breathing problems and sleep disorders, as well as facial pain, neck, shoulder and back pain, clicking or popping in the jaw, limited jaw movement and tingling fingers. This disorder affects men, women and children and in many cases patients go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. In fact, only one out of five people suffering from these symptoms seek help from a doctor and on average, they wait four years to do so.
The cause of the disorder is related to muscle strains from a bad bite. When the teeth are misaligned, called malocclusion or a bad bite, the jaw muscles and those around your head and neck are strained from constantly trying to find a more relaxed position. This strain is what causes the symptoms to occur. TMD is treatable non–surgically by neuromuscular dentists.
Using pain–free computer analysis, the neuromuscular dentist locates your jaw’s most comfortable resting position so they can fit you with an orthotic. If the new jaw position eliminates the pain and discomfort, crowns and veneers can be used to permanently hold this new relaxed position.
Treating this jaw disorder commonly improves symptoms and in many cases, permanently eliminates migraines. This is good news for those dealing with the disorder, as the cost related to migraines for sufferers is significant. Many workdays are lost to migraines, and many attribute their ineffectiveness on the job migraines.
Only five percent of the world’s dentists are trained in neuromuscular dentistry. At Rye Smiles for Life, we have extensive training and experience with the treatment of migraines caused by TMD. Contact us at 703-352-2010 if you think your migraines, brinding, breathing or sleep problems may be related toTMD.
