TMJ Pain Care

your jaw and your bite go through a lot

A “bad bite” or what is technically referred to as malocclusion, may eventually lead to an imbalance in the relationship between the upper and lower jaws. This can result in an unnatural, strained position for the muscles of the jaw. The muscles do not like this strained position and they may compensate by constantly contracting. This can easily cause muscle spasm, pain, and soreness.

As they fatigue, there is a build up of lactic acid and other waste products, which can cause further spasms and discomfort. At some point, the body can work to flush out the muscles with increased blood flow, resulting in pounding headaches.

Muscles work together as a team. When the jaw muscles, which are involved with chewing, biting, talking, breathing and head posture are overused, they recruit muscles of the neck, shoulder, and back. The tight, painful, contracted muscles of the jaw result in pain in the muscles of the neck, shoulder, and back. Neuromuscular treatment may help to relieve many of these issues!

The Benefits of finding your Ideal Alignment and bite

treat tmj disorder: keeping your bite and jaw happy

Looking for a TMJ specialist in Calgary but you don’t know where to start? As there is actual designation called “TMJ specialist,” our Calgary dental office uses a neuromuscular and physiological approach to TMJ disorder.

We can help to determine if the symptoms you are experiencing are the result of a bad bite. We then go through a series of steps to not only relieve your symptoms but to also help correct the cause of these issues. Treatment may begin with the relieving of muscle spasms and the associated pain. We use a unit called a Myo-monitor which helps to relax the patient’s muscles. The Myo-monitor stimulates the Trigeminal Nerve and The Facial nerve using a very mild electrical impulse. After TENSing there is much less activity, and the muscle may be much “happier”.

what it means to have a comfortable bite

After the muscles are relaxed, we start the next phase of treatment which is bite stabilization. We fabricate a temporary appliance, known as an orthotic, which is worn on the teeth. The orthotic works to keep the muscles in the “happy” position, which was established with the use of the Tens unit. Once a patient is stable, we work to correct the bite in order to help keep the jaws in this comfortable position. Sometimes, it may be possible to use orthodontic treatment to move the teeth into a position that is comfortable for the muscles.

trust us with your tMJ treatment in Calgary!

Nosehill Dental ensures that each individual has access to dental solutions tailored to their specific needs, without exceptions. All our patients are treated equally and are encouraged to ask questions, seek clarification, and take an active role in their own dental care plan, in order to achieve oral health for life.

Jaw pain, migraines, headaches, neck pain, tinnitus? TMJ disorder may be to blame. Ask us today about what treatment may be best for you!