You might be asking what muscles have to do with dentistry. The way your teeth fit together (occlusion) affects the muscles of your upper body. The muscles controlling your jaw are programmed by the brain to go where the teeth are most comfortable. When these chewing muscles shorten and tighten, they become fatigued and do not work as efficiently as they should. This means that other muscles of the neck, head and shoulders are recruited to assist in these functions. This brings the head forward and stresses the neck. Other causes of headaches, facial, jaw and neck pain must be ruled out before this diagnosis can be made. Some of the signs and symptoms of malocclusion are: headaches, TMJ pain, noise or limitation of movement; ear congestion, dizziness, and ringing in the ears; neck pain or restriction of motion; clenching and grinding of teeth; wear of anterior teeth (upper and lower), scalloped borders of the tongue, and other intra-oral signs.

The treatment for relief of these symptoms is many-fold. First an evaluation is done of the mobility and function of your jaw, head and neck. Measurements are taken and muscles are assessed for this. After a thorough medical history is taken and the evaluation is concluded, you will be provided several options for treatment. These include use of an orthotic device that is worn on the lower teeth to maintain a relaxed position of the jaw, neuromuscular massage of the muscles of the jaw, head, neck and shoulders, use of a TENS unit to provide symptomatic relief of the pain and headaches, and referral to other medical and dental specialists to rule out and correct any other cause of the pain and strain associated with these areas.

When a patient chooses to use an orthotic device as an option, another procedure is required to establish the true position of the jaw in a relaxed state. This is accomplished with a K-7 Evaluation System and Myomonitor TENS unit. After the correct position is established, Dr. Hornstein will send an impression of the teeth in that position to a laboratory to have an orthotic fabricated. This orthotic is unlike most bite splints in that it is set to the relaxed position of the jaw and not the position a person normally puts their jaw. A person wears this device except when they eat and when brushing and flossing the teeth. It does not interfere with speaking and no one can even tell when it is being worn. It is made of a clear acrylic and requires the same care as a denture. It is comfortable to wear. Most of our patients have found relief using one or more of these treatment options for head, neck, facial or jaw pain.