See Your Dentist

Have A Migraine? See Your Dentist
By Patric Cohen

Headaches

Do you or someone you know suffer from chronic headaches or Migraines? Usually these people have seen a variety of different doctors, with little if any relief. Their symptoms are being treated, but the cause of the problem still persists. Ever thought about seeing your dentist for a migraine? Well that is just one of the conditions that Neuromuscular dentistry is being used to treat. Neuromuscular dentistry is one of the new technologies available in dentistry today. It is different from regular dentistry in that it focuses on the muscles of the jaw and neck and how they are related to the teeth.

Neuromuscular dentistry recognizes that the muscles that move the jaw must be in a comfortable, relaxed position in order to not be in conflict with the teeth and jaw joint i.e. we must have ” happy muscles.” ? Some of the symptoms that occur when we do not have these” happy muscles” include: Headaches, Loose teeth, Clenching or grinding, root abfractions, Pain or clicking and popping in the jaw joints, Shoulder, neck, and back pain, Numbness in arms and fingers, non-specific Facial pain, problems swallowing , hot or cold sensitive teeth ,Crowded teeth , Receding gums , Ringing or congestion in the ears. A person could experience Migraine headaches and no other symptoms for example, yet be suffering from a neuromuscular dental problem.

There are a number of different types of equipment used in Neuromuscular dentistry to help us get a person to a position of “Happy Muscles”. First, we must find a position at rest that is most comfortable for the patient. . This is position where the muscles are relaxed, regardless of where the teeth line up. A device known as the Myo-monitor is used to help relax the patient’s muscles. It is a low frequency T.E.N.S. (Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation)unit. The Myo- monitor stimulates the Trigeminal Nerve and The Facial nerve using a very mild electrical impulse.