HEADACHES, TMJ, TMD and NEUROMUSCULAR DENTISTRY
According to the National Headache Foundation, approximately 430,000 people are unable to work due to migraines every day. This equals 157 million workdays lost annually. These numbers do not include those who suffer from pain in their jaw joints (temporomandibular joint dysfunction [TMJ] or temporomandibular disorder [ TMD]) and who may not be working to capacity because of the nagging pain.
When you have a headache, there are several areas in the head that may hurt. The scalp has a large group of nerves. The nerves in the scalp as well as the nerves in the face, throat and mouth can cause pain.. Another area that is sensitive to pain is the muscles of the head, as well as blood vessels at the base of the brain and along its surface. There are nerve fibers in these muscles and vessels. These fibers can be irritated by changes in the muscles and blood flow to and around the brain.
For many TMJ patients, malocclusion caused by an imbalance in the relationship of the lower jaw to the upper jaw leads to headaches, as well as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), and temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Other TMJ symptoms include neck and shoulder pain, clicking in the jaw, ringing in the ears, worn teeth, clenching, or loose teeth.
Neuromuscular dentists such as Dr. Ned Nippoldt have special training to determine patient’s ideal bite and how to get jaw alignment in the ideal and correct position. Neuromuscular dentistry considers how the muscles, joints and teeth work together to control the positioning and function of the jaw. Dentists trained in neuromuscular dentistry develop plans to create a balanced relationship between all these areas that control the positioning and functioning of your jaw in order to place the jaw in its optimal position.
Once the jaw is in its optimal position, the muscles, nerves , joints and teeth work together and many patients find relief from headaches, TMJ, TMD, neck and myofacial pain. Sometimes the source of your pain has more than one cause, and full relief is gained by working together with a physical therapist, a physician and/or a chiropractor.
Neuromuscular dentist such as Dr. Ned Nippoldt will first relax your muscles through the use of a transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation (TENS) unit. After your muscles are completely relaxed, the dentist will take a bite registration to determine where your optimal bite should be. The neuromuscular dentist can then determine the best method to treat you. Treatments may include:
- Coronoplasty or Equilibration (Adjusting the bite by slightly grinding off high spots that prevent the teeth from coming into proper occlusion.)
- Orthotics (Custom-fitted appliances that maintain your bite in optimal neuromuscular occlusion. These may be removable or permanent.)
- Reconstruction ( Permanently realigning the bite by making crowns on the teeth on one or more arches.)
- Orthodontics (Moving teeth to the optimal position with braces or Invisalign.)
Patients treated with neuromuscular dentistry experience a range of benefits ranging from a decrease or eliminated pain to better overall health to longer-lasting aesthetic restorations.
If you would like a TMJ consultation with our neuromuscular dentist, please contact our Woodbury office at 651-739-8573. Serving TMJ patients in St. Paul, Woodbury, Minneapolis, Hudson, Lake Elmo, and Stillwater, Minnesota.
