Help with Headaches
Headaches are, well, a real headache for America. An estimated 157 million workdays are lost annually to migraine headache pain and more than 45 million Americans suffer from headache pain severe enough to seek help from a physician. Fortunately for a growing number of headache pain sufferers, relief can be found in an unexpected place: the dentist’s chair.
The problem in many cases, headache pain is caused by a poor bite known as temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorder (TMD) commonly referred to as TMJ. TMD causes migraines and tension headaches, tooth grinding, breathing problems and sleep disorders as well as facial pain, neck, shoulder and back pain, clicking or popping in the jaw and limited jaw movement. These problems—even those long‐term issues that were previously unresolved—can be alleviated without the use of painkillers thanks to the work of specially trained neuromuscular dentists. An answer TMD is treatable.
Here’s how:
- First, a specially trained neuromuscular dentist does a comprehensive evaluation, including a computer analysis of your jaw muscles, to find the jaw’s optimal position.
- Then, a jaw‐repositioning orthotic—which looks like an athlete’s mouth guard—is used to temporarily maintain this new relaxed position. Patients often report pain they have endured for many years dissipates or even goes away entirely in a matter of days.
- Finally, the patient can be fitted with crowns and veneers to permanently hold the new pain free jaw position.
Many patients report almost immediate pain relief and end up with a beautiful smile that can help restore their confidence personally and professionally.