Rifkin Dental Group
Dental Information Center
Learn more about treatments:
General Dentistry
TMJ Neuromuscular Dentistry
How advanced dentistry can alleviate persistent jaw, head, neck pain and other common discomforts.
What is TMJ?
Many people suffer from such common ailments as persistent headaches, jaw pain, neck or shoulder pain, ringing in the ears and popping of the jaw. Others snore, grind their teeth or have limited jaw movement. Although these symptoms may be common, they are not necessarily untreatable.
Temporomandibular Joint
Often, the underlying cause of these symptoms is called TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome) or TMD (temporomandibular disorder.) This disorder often occurs when the teeth do not close together properly, including underbites and overbites. The misalignment of the teeth causes the jaw muscles to strain and force the jaw into better alignment. This constant straining leads to pain or other symptoms throughout the head and neck area.
Imagine forcing your arm and wrist into an awkward position to reach down a drain or under a sink. Now, imagine doing that consistently each day. Although your body may become accustomed to the abuse, you will eventually manifest symptoms of overuse, including joint and muscle pain. TMJ is the same type of disfunction due to inappropriate use of your jaw muscles.
Treating TMJ
Try relaxing your jaw for a moment. Although you won't be completely able to release all tension, you will have a sensation of ease and balance in your face. Now, imagine biting your teeth together from that position, yet still maintaining that full degree of relaxation. This is the position in which your jaw is naturally designed to rest.
By calibrating the natural position of your jaw, our office can then restore your bite to perfect balance, causing the jaw joint and teeth to work in their natural synergy.
Please visit us if you suffer from symptoms as diverse as:
- Headaches / Migraines
- Facial pain
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears)
- Unexplained loose teeth
- Sensitive and sore teeth
- Jaw pain
- Limited jaw movement or locking jaw
- Numbness in the fingers and arms
- Worn or cracked teeth
- Clicking or popping in the jaw joints
- Depression
Our team can evaluate your bite and jaw joint relationship to let you know if you might be a candidate for neuromuscular dentistry.
Snoring Treatment
Snoring – More Than Just Noise
Snoring is caused when the jaw opens and the tongue falls into the back of the throat, causing the airway to narrow and forcing air through the small opening. This creates vibrations in the throat known as snoring. Although snoring seems physically harmless, it can be a warning sign of a more serious and dangerous condition called obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the airway completely collapses, blocking airflow into the lungs. The harder one tries to breathe, the tighter the airway seals. This airway obstruction persists until the brain partially awakens the person, unconsciously closing the jaw and returning the tongue and throat to a normal position.
The sleep apnea cycle – falling asleep, jaw relaxing, airway collapsing, unconsciously awaking with a gasp, falling back asleep – can repeat itself 50 or more times per hour during the night. With a blocked passageway, one does not receive enough oxygen. Both the awakenings and oxygen deprivation can then trigger other health problems, including chronic sleepiness, headaches, depression, exhaustion, high blood pressure, eand even strokes mless, it can be a warning sign of a more serious and dangerous condition ca sleep apnea and snoring with an appliance called a Thornton Adjustable Positioner. This appliance holds the mandible (lower jaw) forward during sleep to prevent the tongue and soft tissues of the throat from collapsing into the airway.
By adjusting the degree to which the mandible is held forward, our team can maximize both the effectiveness of the appliance and the patient's comfort. Clinical studies show that the Thornton Adjustable Positioner has a 96% success rate in alleviating snoring and sleep apnea.