Headaches Neck and Shoulder Pain Jaw Pain Clicking or Popping of the Jaw Tinnitus

Neuromuscular dentistry differs from general dentistry because Dr Deahl concentrates on the activity of the muscles that move the jaw. Neuromuscular dentistry (NMD) recognizes that the muscles that move the jaw must be in a relaxed, comfortable position so as not be in conflict with your teeth and jaw joint.

NMD is the science of using the relaxed position of the muscles of the head and neck to place the jaw in the optimal physiologic position for function and comfort. The facial area is a complex network of bones, muscles and nerves. When the jaw is not properly aligned, the surrounding bones, muscles and nerves are affected. This includes the muscles in the face, which experience strain or spasm because the muscles are working harder than normal to compensate for the unaligned bite.

When a patient's bite is not in proper alignment, a number of symptoms can arise. NMD can help alleviate symptoms such as headaches, neck and shoulder pain, jaw pain, clicking or popping of the jaw and tinnitus. Unfortunately, many people suffer from these symptoms and are either misdiagnosed or not treated as having no physiological cause. In many cases, these symptoms can actually be attributed to TMJ (tempomandibular joint syndrome), also known as TMD (tempomandibular joint disorder) or MPD (myofascial pain dysfunction).

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of TMJ (tempomandibular joint) problem. These headaches are often described as a migraine headache where pressure is felt around the head with more pressure on the facial area. Constant contraction of the muscles fibers within a muscle, create tension and reduce blood flow to that area. The body reacts by sending more blood to that area of the head, this can be referred to as vascular headaches. Clenching and grinding the teeth, which are symptoms of TMJ, produce pain due to muscle contraction and create a headache.

By putting the tempomandibular joint back into alignment and placing the jaw into its optimal position, NMD can alleviate most headache problems related to TMJ, muscle, nerve and joint disorders.

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Neck and Shoulder Pain can be caused when the jaw is out of alignment which in turn twists the jaw into a strained position. Muscles work in tangent with each other, especially the muscles that involve chewing, biting, talking, breathing and head posture. Sore, tight muscles of the jaw can tilt the head and shoulders causing compensation from the neck, shoulder and back muscles. Although Dr. Deahl does not treat neck, back or shoulder muscles, patients are pleased how frequently these problems can be relieved.

Dr. Deahl understands that the bones, joints, muscles and nerves have a complex relationship in the face and neck. He will work to correct the bite, relieving the strain placed on the jaw. Once the bite has been aligned, resulting pain in many areas of the body disappears.

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Jaw Pain occurs when the upper teeth and lower teeth do not come together in proper alignment. This disrupts the placement of the jaw and the surrounding muscles causing pain in the jaw.

Realigning the bite can help alleviate jaw pain. Once the jaw is in a relaxed position, the surrounding muscles can also relax and resume the natural function.

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Clicking or Popping of the Jaw can feel like the jaw is "catching" when the jaw is open. The popping jaw is usually a displaced disc in the joint. This disc acts as a cushion for the two bones in your jaw joint. If there is trauma to the joint, the joint may be out of alignment and the disc is pulled forward and no longer a cushion for the bones. This causes jaw pain and the clicking (bone against bone) or popping (the movement of the disc) sounds.

Dr. Deahl can measure the jaw in its relaxed position and then place the jaw back in its natural position. Once back in its natural position, the disc will be back in place performing its function as the cushion therefore alleviating the pain.

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Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears) often goes untreated or misdiagnosed because there seems to be no clear cause. In many cases, ringing in the ears is one of the results of having a misaligned bite. The jaw is not biting comfortably and therefore the muscles and nerves, which are surrounding the ears, are compensating to correct the bite sometimes causing the ringing.

Dr. Deahl can stabilize and realign the bite so that the entire jaw area works together without pain. Your bite will be in its natural position, relieving the ringing in your ears that was caused by a misaligned bite.

Other symptoms that can occur when the jaw in not aligned properly can include:
	Loose teeth		Difficulty swallowing
	Worn, chipped or cracked teeth		Crowded teeth
	Clenching and grinding		Receding gums

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