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At 53 I noticed my teeth and smile were deteriorating rapidly. Through recommendations and several hours searching the internet I came across the Cosmetic Dentists of Australia web site and learnt how this group of dentists have all been trained at one of Americas Premier Dental Training Institutes, the Las Vegas Institute of advanced dental studies. I chose one of these CDA dentists to give me a New Smile makeover, and since then I have never smiled with so much confidence. My new smile changed my life…. I did it….. Why don’t you.?.

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What is Neuromuscular Dentistry ?

Many people are unaware that they suffer from a misaligned jaw and attribute the symptoms to daily stress or fatigue.

An abbreviated definition of Neuromuscular Dentistry is the correct positioning of the jaw to give the correct bite.

Although Neuromuscular Studies have been carried out for over 30 years it is only recently that its full potential is being discovered, and we are of the firm belief that this form of dentistry will be the standard in years to come.

The major break through that has been found when practicing Neuromuscular Dentistry is that we now have the ability to either cure, or at least relieve up to 90 % of people who suffer from Migraine headaches.

There are many symptoms that a patient may suffer, but most of these below will show us they have a Neuromuscular problem. Many of these symptoms have been miss diagnosed in the past, but today they have become tell tale signs that the patient has a bite problem.

These include:

  • Headaches or migraines
  • Sensitive and sore teeth
  • Facial pain
  • Neck and shoulder aches
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Jaw pain
  • Ear congestion
  • Clicking/ popping in the joints
  • Worn down teeth
  • Clenching/ bruxing (grinding)
  • Limited opening of the mouth
  • Cervical (neck) problems
  • Loose teeth
  • Tingling in the fingertips

When you look at the reasons for all these symptoms most will be caused by the incorrect position of the jaw. The current position of the jaw could have been caused by incorrect orthodontics, tooth extraction, crown and bridge work, badly formed dentition or just wear and tear of the teeth.

Today we have the computerization and jaw tracking programs that will indicate exactly where the jaw is in its most comfortable position by monitoring the 12 muscles that hold the lower jaw in position.

When a chronic Migraine sufferer attends our surgeries we are usually able to determine within 48 hours if we are able to help them with their problem, if not eventually cure them completely.

As a group, we have been quite hesitant in the past to advertise what we are able to achieve for Migraine sufferers with the use of Neuromuscular Dentistry, as there are very few Australian Dentists trained in performing these procedures. Last year alone there were over 1.8 million searches on Google for Migraines, and seeing there are so many people who suffer from the above symptoms we may become inundated with sufferers.

We have also achieved amazing success with young school children who suffer from Migraines. By having them wear an appliance 24/7 they are now pain free, they have reduced their absenteeism to almost nil, their grades have improved immeasurably, and most are now completely drug free. Parents of these children are most appreciative as their family lives are now back to where they can live a normal life and plan for the future.

How is NMD Performed ?

When correcting a misaligned bite or to relieve a painful condition, your dentist will evaluate and study the complex relationship between your teeth, jaw joints and muscles. Your dentist will then apply neuromuscular principles to build your bite.

NMD begins by relaxing the muscles around the jaw with the use of a TENS device (Myomonitor). The Myomonitor is a battery operated electrical muscle stimulator that delivers mild electrical stimulus to the muscles of the facial/jaw area, and possibly the neck and shoulder area, to “exercise” these muscles and to cause them to relax. It is not painful at all.

Your NM dentist may also perform tests using computerized technology that provide very detailed information about the status of your muscles and joints. These tests give your dentist a “picture” of what is happening with your muscles and joints.

Computerized Mandibular Scanning or Jaw Tracking allows the NM dentist to measure and study the pattern of the jaw opening and closing through it’s full range of motion. Electromyography (EMG) tests provide information on the activity of key muscles that control the jaw during various functions as well as at rest.

This information is then used in the doctor’s diagnosis to assist in determining the precise point at which you jaw should be in relation to your upper teeth. Rather than relying on your present jaw position as being the best for you, the NM dentist uses this additional objective information to determine if your bite should be left as is or be adjusted to a more optimal occlusion.

Once the dentist has determined where your new bite should be, you will be given a plastic appliance called an “orthotic” to keep your bite in it’s new position. You may wear this orthotic as an interim step to a more permanent treatment.