Neuromuscular dentistry is a unique branch of dentistry that is concerned with the delicate relationship between your jaw muscles, your jaw joints, and the surrounding nerves, muscles and tendons in your head and neck. When your jaw joint is misaligned, it can place pressure on the rest of these components, leading to painful symptoms. This disorder is known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD/TMJ).
The temporomandibular joint connects your jawbone to your skull. As one of the most complex joints in your body, it is responsible for all of your jaw movements. This joint must be properly aligned to prevent serious discomfort, damaged teeth, and other systemic issues.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
The most common symptoms of TMD include migraine-like headaches, and jaw pain that may or may not involve clicking or popping of the jaw. However, TMJ can produce a wide variety of other problems, including:
- Headaches
- Ear pain without infection
- Eye pain or pressure
- Neck and backaches
- Teeth grinding
Because these symptoms are so similar to other health issues, TMD is often misdiagnosed as something else. In order to accurately diagnose TMD and treat the source of your symptoms, you need to see a neuromuscular dentist.
Experienced Neuromuscular Dentistry
Hilton Head Island neuromuscular dentist Dr. Timothy Gross received training in TMD diagnosis and treatment at the world-renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). Using state-of-the-art dental technology – including a K7 system and TENS Unit – Dr. Gross can determine the ideal position of your jaw, customizing a treatment plan that is designed to relieve your pain and correct the position your bite.
We also use the principles of neuromuscular dentistry to design your dental restorations, always seeking to make them fit naturally and comfortably with your ideal bite.
If you are suffering from any of the symptoms of TMD, please contact Dr. Timothy Gross today to schedule a neuromuscular dentistry consultation. We serve patients in the Hilton Head Island and Bluffton areas of South Carolina.
