When thinking about oral health, your teeth and gums are certainly two main components to take care of. But another component critical to overall function, aesthetics, and comfort of your smile is the jaw. While dentists and periodontists handle the majority of the standard treatment options, a neuromuscular dentist specializes in problems with the jaw, including the muscles and joints that work to make a proper bite.
What Does a Neuromuscular Dentist Do?
Neuromuscular dentistry is the specialty practice that helps treat jaw related issues such as misalignment that cause the onset of TMD (temporomandibular disorders). It’s been an important enough practice that neuromuscular dentists have been helping patients fix their misaligned jaws for nearly half a century. Treating a malocclusion (a bad bite) can have an immediate positive effect in helping the facial muscles relax, relieving discomfort that previously existed.
What Causes a Misaligned Jaw
Many factors can contribute to the jaw misaligning; when teeth that don’t meet properly due to a misaligned bite, the jaw will instinctively misalign to protect the teeth from chipping, even if it causes discomfort or pain. Additionally, dental issues such as missing teeth can cause the jaw to shift out of place over time. Over time, it can cause complications with chewing, speaking, and even inhibit proper breathing, all of which are crucial to healthy function.
Helping with TMD Treatment
TMJ disorder is a jaw or bite complication that neuromuscular dentists treat most often. The temporomandibular joint is what keeps the bottom jaw and the rest of the skull connected. When the joint gets out of alignment, a neuromuscular dentist can choose several treatment methods to realign it and return the jaw to proper function without pain or discomfort.
The equipment and procedures used by a neuromuscular dentist offer effective treatment to realign the jaw. Sonographies are performed to help diagnose complications of TMD by measuring the vibrations in the joint. Additionally, a kinesiography can record the lower jaw movement to help determine how the upper and lower jaw can naturally meet comfortably.
Contact Us!
At Richard L Plasch, DDS we want to ensure our patients in the community of Hayward receive comprehensive care. Whether it’s your teeth, gums, or jaw that need attention, our dedicated staff will perform the necessary procedures and treatments to help bring comfort and ease to your smile for optimal functioning. Give us a call today!