Neuromuscular Dentistry Dr Cameron Dodd is one of a very few Australian dentists that have studied with the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) in the principles of neuromuscular dentistry.
Neuromuscular dentists believe that a relaxed physiologic bite (or the way the upper and lower teeth come together) is the foundation of good dentistry and healthy, pain-free patients. Neuromuscular dentists don’t just look at the teeth, but evaluate the jaw joints (TMJ) and the facial and neck muscles. The goal of neuromuscular dentistry is to relax the jaw muscles to establish a true physiologic resting position upon which to restore the teeth. Any dentist can call themselves a “cosmetic dentist”, but there is little point in having “white” teeth if you have constant head, neck and shoulder pain or migraines.
When the teeth come together, the jaw joints must be in their correct position, otherwise the muscles of the head and neck need to be constantly contracted, even when apparently at rest. This leads to pain and general stress. Neuromuscular dentistry uses bioinstrumentation to determine a proper resting jaw position that relaxes facial, head and neck muscles and protects the teeth and jaw joints from damage.
If you have any of the following symptoms you may have TMJ (jaw joint) problems:
Headaches or migraines
Sensitive teeth
Facial pain
Neck and/or shoulder pain
Ringing in the ears, tinnitus
Jaw pain
Ear congestion
Clicking / popping in the jaw joints
Worn, ground-down teeth
Clenching or bruxing of teeth
Limited or painful mouth opening
Loose teeth
Bleeding gums
Tingling in the fingers
Numbness in the tip of the tongue
Vertigo
A neuromuscular dentist will investigate your problems and assess whether the bite has a contributing role in your pain. Most patients we treat with neuromuscular dentistry have suffered pain for years and constantly need neck and back adjustments with their chiropractor or physiotherapist. Working in combination with these professionals usually results in more stable adjustments and improvements in the long term health of the patient.