Are you suffering from:
- Headaches
- neck, shoulder or back pain
- ear pain, dizziness, stuffy ears
- difficulty opening your mouth
- pain behind your eyes
- difficulty swallowing
- numbness in your fingertips
- loose, worn or missing teeth
- clenching or grinding your teeth
Neuromuscular dentistry may be able to provide a solution to your problems and increase the quality of your life.
Neuromuscular Dentistry can help you
Traditional dentistry has always viewed your teeth and jaw bones from a strictly mechanical point of view. We try to accommodate our teeth to the joints. However, the medical community has always known that our skeletal (bony) positions are strongly influenced by our muscles.
Muscle imbalances lead to posture problems which result in muscle and joint pain problems that can be debilitating (runners knee, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, lower back). Our head and neck region is no different.
No matter how our teeth are positioned, our muscles will struggle to create a comfortable bite. If our tooth position is improper, our body will be unsuccessful in accommodating, leading to a myriad of pain complex problems listed above.
WHAT CAN BE DONE
An initial 2 part examination is performed in our office. Using subjective and objective data, we can identify problem areas that we may be able to treat. Additional information may be required including models of your teeth, 3-dimensional x-rays of your joints, photographs, ESG (electrosonography) of your joints and a computerized mandibular scan monitored with SEMG (surface electromyography).
Since 90% of headache and facial pain is muscular in its origins, our first phase of treatment is to repair your mandibular (lower jaw) posture with the aid of a low frequency TENS unit and a clear orthotic (splint) worn on your lower teeth. In time, your pain complex is relieved and quality of life improves.
THEN WHAT?
Once we have reached this stage, long term prevention is required. For most people, no further dental work is required. For others, a permanent change in tooth position is achieved through neuromuscular orthodontics or full mouth rehabilitation
We also work in a total wellness team approach working with Calgary's best Kinesiologists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Massage Thera-pists, Orthopedic specialists, Orthodontists, Oral Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons and more, to provide a comprehensive, long-term solution to your problem.
IMPROVED SPORTS PERFORMANCE
Kinesiology studies at the world renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies are showing that when you position the lower jaw at a physiologic rest position, you recruit your postural muscles more efficiently, resulting in increased sports performance.