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By Dr. Natalia Tsar
TMD, sometimes called TMJ, is a cycle of pain, muscle spasms, and jaw joint problems that results when the teeth, chewing muscles, and jaw joints don’t work together harmoniously. The letters “TMD” stand for Temporomandibular Dysfunction. This refers to problems with muscles and joints that join the lower jaw to the base of the skull.
Symptoms of TMD
The symptoms number in the hundreds and don’t affect all people equally. This has made accurate and consistent diagnosis of the condition very difficult and in fact, poorly understood by the dental profession as well as physicians and other health care modalities.
-Migraines
-Facial pain
-Jaw joint pain
-Back, neck, cervical pain
-Postural problems (forward head posture)
-Pain in the face
-Difficulty opening of the mouth (commonly known as “Locked Jaw”)
-Headaches (tension type)
-Pain in the muscles surrounding the temporomandibular joints
-Pain in the occipital (back), temporal (side), frontal
(front), or sub-orbital (below the eyes)
-Pain behind the eyes – dagger and ice pick feelings
-Multiple bites that feels uncomfortable or, “off,” and continually changing
-Clenching/bruxing
-Tender sensitive teeth to cold
-Deviation of the jaw to one side
-The jaw locking open or closed
-Ringing in the ears, ear pain, and ear congestion
-Sinus like symptoms
-Dizziness or vertigo
-Visual Disturbances
-Tingling in fingers and hands
-Insomnia – difficulty sleeping
A Problem Bite Can Cause TMD
A problem bite often exists when teeth are missing, misaligned or worn down. These conditions can prevent the upper teeth from meshing correctly with the lower teeth, and this forces the jaw to shift position and the muscles to work harder than they should to bring the teeth together. Even when you are not chewing, your jaw muscles may not fully relax even though they feel normal to you. You bring your teeth together to swallow thousands of times per day. If your bite is out of alignment, the muscles and the joints become sore, tired, and stiff. Over time, this constant muscle tension leads to muscle fatigue, spasm, and pain. The constant strain on the muscles can also pull the disc that cushions the jaw joint out of position. If this happens, the bones of the jaw joint can rub against each other and the nerves, causing pain and damaging the joint.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Because the cause of the problem is coming from imbalance of three systems: muscles, teeth and joint, a trained Neuromuscular Dentist who has the specialized computer equipment called K7 is best at treating this condition.
It is necessary to have the right tools to diagnose and treat this condition and be able to track the progress and the changes a patient makes. With the K7 system, a Neuromuscular Dentist is able to get objective data and make much more accurate treatment decisions.
The first step in treatment is to wear a custom crafted bite splint called an orthotic to relax the muscles in order to restore the balance to the joint and stabilize the bite. Once the pain is eliminated and the bite is stabilized, on a case by case basis, we can decide how to permanently correct the problem. Depending on the situation, those options may include : orthodontics, replacement of missing teeth, wearing a long term orthotic, neuromuscular denture or a partial, placement of crowns, veneers or overlays, or a full mouth reconstruction.
Do you have a question about how Neuromuscular dentistry can help your headaches, migraines, or neck aches?
Email Dr. Natalia Tsar at TsarDentalExcellence@gmail.com Dr. Natalia Tsar is one of the few Dentists on the East Coast of Florida to offer neuromuscular dentistry, which considers the actual positioning and function of the jaw. Neuromuscular dentists seek to establish a harmonious relationship of the teeth, muscles and jaw joints, helping to relieve problems that occur with misaligned bites such headaches, migraines, neck pain, jaw pain, and chipped or fractured teeth.
Dr. Tsar graduated Cum Laude from University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine where she was in the top 10 in her class and received 12 clinical awards. While developing and growing her dental practice in Utica, NY, she continued her training in orthodontics, TMJ and cosmetic dentistry. She has been awarded a fellowship from the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.
When not taking care of her patients, Dr. Tsar spends time being active in tennis, golf and soccer with her husband and two young boys. She enjoys a healthy life style which she approaches holistically including a healthy diet, staying active and regular yoga practice. Dr. Tsar also carries this holistic approach into her dental practice.
