TEMPOROMANDIBULAR (TMD) DISORDER

Purpose: To orthopedically realign the mandible (lower jaw) to a position that provides relief from pain and dysfunction in a patient who has been suffering from chronic pain or temporomandibular disorder (TMD). An orthotic stabilizes the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), restoring it back to normal physiological function and healing, which results in a reduction or elimination of pain and other TMD-related symptoms. requires a dentist specifically trained in orthotics and neuromuscular dentistry.

1 appliance worn all day and night

Designed to fit over the lower dental arch (at the correct mandibular position)

Anatomical, functional, comfortable – Effective resolution of symptoms requires a trained dentist to adjust the occlusion/bite accurately, and in very specific detail, using neuromuscular protocols“Several studies have concluded that TMD (temporomandibular disorder) patients experience the greatest clinical success after receiving treatments that involve the restoration of optimum function of the mandible, muscles and TM joints, through use of intraoral orthotic appliances of various designs”. (Cooper B: Temporomandibular Disorders: A Position Paper of the International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics (ICCMO)., Journal of Craniomandibular Practice, July 2011, Vol. 29, No. 3., pp. 237-244).

 

A neuromuscular orthotic is used during the following phases of treatment of Temporomandibular Disorder:

• Phase I – Diagnostic TMJ Pain Therapy, Masticatory Dysfunction, Joint Derangement.
• Phase II – A Foundation for the beginning of the Final Restorative Phase of Treatment.

Microns matter when treating complex TMD pain

Precision is CRITICAL. Most dentists use articulating paper that is 100 microns thick, to assess a patient’s occlusion (bite). But much chronic pain and TMJ patients are in constant pain as a result of a higher level of proprioception, sometimes even as detailed as 10 microns. A lack of in-depth understanding of occlusion combined with the absence of technology to specifically measure the forces of each particular tooth-to-tooth contact, result in many patients not getting the diagnosis and the treatment they so desperately need in order to resolve their symptoms.
Establishing optimal physiologic occlusion where the patient’s teeth fit together properly and in relation to unstrained TMJ, jaw bones, muscles, and ligaments, is the goal of neuromuscular treatment in order to reduce and eliminate pain and TMD symptoms.