Neuromuscular Dentistry

Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario

When the muscles and nerves of your mouth and face are not working together, you can experience excruciatingly painful symptoms that are often compared to or mistaken for those of a migraine. Neuromuscular dentistry recognizes that these muscles and nerves must work in harmony together with your jaw in a comfortable and relaxed position in order for your joints and teeth to work optimally without causing pain. At Willow Dental in Mississauga, Ontario, we offer the latest procedures for correcting these types of dental problems.

Neuromuscular dentistry involves the realignment of your bite by placing your jaw into its most optimal position. When your teeth, temporomandibular joints and facial muscles are out of alignment, they can cause a disorder known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD).

What is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)?

TMD

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder occurs when the joints that connect the upper and lower jaws are not working together properly. This joint is very complex and is responsible for moving the lower jaw forward, backward and from side to side. The system that allows these movements to take place is made up of:

• Muscles
• Ligaments
• Discs
• Bones

All of these components must work together in order to perform seemingly simple motions of the jaws. When something is misaligned, as is the case with TMJ, you may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Jaw locking, clicking and popping
• Painful headaches
• Earaches
• Jaw muscle tenderness
• Pain and pressure behind the eyes
• Pain when yawning or chewing
• A change in the way your upper and lower teeth fit together
• Damage to teeth or dental restorations
• Tingling or numbness in the arms
• Poor posture
• Back pain

How can jaw misalignment affect so much of your body? The jaw hangs from the skull, supported by many muscles that also interact with your cervical vertebrae. If the jaw is out of alignment, it can cause your cervical vertebrae to also come out of alignment, which can lead to misalignment along your entire spine, which, in turn, can lead to muscle strain and pinched nerves.

For more informtion on headaches, see Migraines and TMD.

Also read about Neck and Facial Pain.

Thankfully, this suffering is often needless and there is help.

Read about LVI and TMD.

At Willow Dental in Mississauga, Ontario you are guaranteed highly specialized and individual care that is provided from the time you walk into our clinic until your procedure has been completed. Your doctor will be present throughout your experience with us. No more need to worry that you will spend five minutes with the person who will be performing your procedure and then never see them again. To learn more about neuromuscular dentistry and what we can do for you, please contact Willow Dental today.