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.

If you suffer from the following symptoms, chances are you suffer from Temporomandibbular disorder, and neuromuscular dentistry can help you.

  - headaches
  - pain in and around the jaw and TMJ areas
  - sounds from your jaw joints, clicking, popping, grinding
  - snoring
  - dizziness
  - grinding or clenching your teeth
  - stiff, sore neck and shoulder muscles (especially with pain radiating to your fingers)
  - toothaches or sensitive teeth unrelated to cavities or hum disease
  - clogging or stuffiness or ears with subjective hearing loss
  - abnormal tooth wear at the gum line often being attributed to brushing too hard
  - ringing in the ear
  - pressure behind the eye

The use of lasers in dentistry is a long awaited technology. We are proud to be on the cutting edge with the use of our soft tissue laser. This laser allows us to expertly sculpt excess gum tissue with minimal trauma and excellent results. It also helps us in reducing periodontal pockets without the need for gum surgery.

Eliminating a gummy smile can make a great difference in the appearance of your teeth. Your teeth may appear short because the gum tissue is at the wrong height. Reshaping the gum tissue to its appropriate level will give your teeth a longer, more attractive appearance. Gingival recontouring or sculpting is a simple procedure that takes just minutes. A small amount of local anesthesia is applied and the tissue is artfully sculpted to the desired position. There is no bleeding no stitches and minimal discomfort. You can even do it during your lunch hour and return to work. So if you feel your teeth are too short, or your smile has a gummy appearance, give us a call and see what gingival sculpting can do for you.