Building Your Bite

How Can TMD / TMJ Be Treated?

Neuromuscular dentists first measure the most relaxed position of your jaw to determine the goal for normal jaw positioning. Then the dentist works to realign the bite and restore the teeth and thus the jaw and joints to their optimal position. Once the bite is realigned and the jaw is in place, the pain that resulted from the imbalance disappears.

The Treatment Process

To begin building your bite, Dr. Babin begins by taking a series of simple scans of your jaw to determine how well the muscles are functioning.

You might think of this as an MRI for your mouth. Once this neuromuscular information is gathered we will treat you with Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (TENS).

The TENS machine allows us to relax fatigued muscles and determine their optimal resting place – it is like a massage for your muscles. Based on this information Dr. Babin makes a clear plastic appliance called an orthotic.

How long does it take?

The orthotic is worn over your bottom teeth and places your jaw in proper neuromuscular occlusion, helping your jaw maintain its optimal resting place. The orthotic is worn for about 3 months, during which time Dr. Babin will TENS your muscles and make adjustments to your orthotic to maintain optimal neuromuscular occlusion.

Once your symptoms are alleviated and your bite is in its optimal position, Dr. Babin will begin to restore your teeth to the new bite using the concepts of neuromuscular dentistry.

Contact our dental office today in Victoria, (Vancouver Island) B.C. to learn more about neuromuscular therapy!

Source in part from leadingdentists.com