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NEUROMUSCULAR DENTISTRY

The way your upper and lower teeth come together (your bite or occlusion) is part of a system of teeth, muscles and joints.   If your bite is misaligned, that is, if your teeth do not fit together properly, the muscles and joints accommodate—they work together to get them together.

A misaligned bite can lead to overworked muscles, which should be relaxed, leading to various painful conditions.  Neuromuscular dentistry considers the entire system that controls the positioning and functioning of your jaw.

Neuromuscular dentistry is the science of using the relaxed position of the muscles of the head and neck to place the jaw in the optimal physiologic position for comfort and function.  It is also used to find the optimal jaw position before restorative dentistry which greatly increases the longevity of the tooth restorations.

How is neuromuscular dentistry different from traditional dentistry?  Whereas traditional dentistry only looks at the jaw and the teeth, neuromuscular dentistry looks at the muscles that control the jaw and the nerves that control the muscles, and how this relates to the overall body.

Some symptoms of neuromuscular conflicts include:

            Frequent headaches, neck, shoulder and back pain, unexplained loose teeth, teeth clenching or grinding, numbness in arms and fingers, pain or clicking and popping in joints, pain behind the eyes, facial pain, ringing or congestion in the ears and TMJ.

Remember, healthy muscles work in harmony and are able to rest more comfortably.  That is the aim of the neuromuscular dentist.