Sarasota Neuromuscular Dentistry Glossary, FL

Neuromuscular dentistry is the science of dentistry that helps assess the function of jaw joints and muscles, looking at bite problems that may affect the overall dental health. Neuromuscular dentistry addresses and evaluates the interconnections between the jaw, the teeth, temporomandibular joints and the masticatory muscles as well as body's range of motion and posture.

Unlike traditional dentistry which evaluates primarily the teeth, bones, and gums, neuromuscular dentistry works with the hard tissues and the soft tissues, muscles and nerves. Neuromuscular dentists understand the correlation between the teeth, a proper jaw posture, its movements and function to the power source (muscles) and the controls (nerves). The primary goal of neuromuscular dentistry is to find the position of the jaw where the muscles are relaxed and at rest.

When the jaw is misaligned, both the hard and soft tissues are affected. Finding your neuromuscular jaw position is a very important step in preventing many physiological problems, such as headaches, jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain, sensitive and sore teeth, ringing in the ears, clenching of the teeth, numbness in arms and fingers, clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint, etc.

In a number of cases, these symptoms are due to TMJ/TMJD (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction), which means that the harmony of the teeth, facial muscles, and temporomandibular joints no longer exists. TMJ/TMJD is a chronic degenerative disease that often takes years to develop. People who suffer from this disease have an imbalance in the jaw-to-skull relationship, which is caused by malocclusion.

If you are suffering from any of the above complaints, neuromuscular dentistry may be of benefit to you. To properly diagnose and treat you, we utilize K-7 – a computerized diagnostic tool which records the position of the jaw and muscles and helps treat neuromuscular pain.

Please feel free to talk to our dental professionals about neuromuscular dentistry or to schedule an appointment.

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