Stopping the Tooth Pain of TMJ
Teeth that are sore or sensitive are common symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, otherwise known as TMJ.
You may experience soreness in one or more of your teeth, if your TMJ is due to your teeth. If the TMJ disc is out of alignment, many people will commonly clench or grind their teeth and this is also a potential cause of having sensitive teeth.
It is a shame, though, that there are quite a few patients misdiagnosed as they are searching for a solution to their TMJ tooth pain and this causes unnecessary root canals and extractions. The only problem with taking these measures is that it may not relieve pain, but actually make it even worse.
Neuromuscular dentists attack the TMJ tooth pain at its point of origin. In most cases, correction of the bite may not require the use of surgery, and patients report a much longer-lasting pain relief.When handling the TMJ tooth pain using this approach, patients achieve pain relief that lasts longer, and it may not be necessary for the bite to be corrected surgically.
State-of-the-art technology is used by neuromuscular dentists to determine if your symptoms are caused by malocclusion and if so, what you best possible jaw position is. Jaw movement, path of closure, and resting position, are documented by dentists through the use of computerized jaw tracking instruments.
But once your neuromuscular dentist has diagnosed you with TMJ, they will be able to determine the best course of treatment for your specific needs.
TMJ treatments generally follow a three step process. Your neuromuscular dentist will first seek to treat your symptoms, by relieving your pain. The best way to achieve this is by using a technology called Ultra Low Frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Simulation, or ULF-TENS, which is used to relax muscles with a gentle massage of the muscles.
The muscles are relaxed with the rhythmic pulses that increase blood flow and pumps out waste products. ULF-TENS also helps relieve TMJ tooth pain by stimulating the body’s production of endorphins, which are the body’s natural anesthetic.
During the second step of the treatment, a temporary device known as an orthotic is worn over the teeth. This device permits the neuromuscular dentist to easily make adjustments to the plastic without needing to adjust the teeth themselves, until he has stabilized your bite.
Step three of this procedure, is to make the permanent adjustment needed to ensure your bite’s proper position, and this is done once your pain has been addressed, and your bite is no longer unstable.
My research has shown that many people find exercises such as those offered by TMJ No More, to be the most effective remedy for TMJ pain.
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