Published: 2009-09-12 16:34:43
Author: CHRISTINE FACCIOLO | Delaware Online | August 18, 2009
When Dr. Michael T. Rosen was in dental school, he consulted a periodontist about some jaw pain he'd developed after suffering a sports injury in college.
While he was being examined, one of the other students turned to the attending dentist and asked whether he thought Rosen's pain might be caused by "psychological problems."
Rosen dismissed the comment as a quirky joke, but recognized its significance years later while training in cosmetic dentistry at the Las Vegas Institute. There he learned the principles of neuromuscular dentistry, a treatment modality that focuses on correcting the misalignment of the jaw at the temporomandibular joint.
Unlike traditional dentistry, which operates on the assumption that the jaw's acquired or habitual position is the optimal one, neuromuscular dentistry seeks to establish a harmonious relationship between the teeth, muscles and joints to align the jaw in the most comfortable position possible.
"The vast majority of dentists have been trained to think that TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) problems are all stress and psychological problems," Rosen said. "Stress by itself doesn't cause temporomandibular disorders."
Dental experts estimate that as many as 80 percent of the population experiences some degree of malocclusion, or a "bad bite." When people try to find their ideal jaw position, muscles become overworked. This can lead to teeth grinding, jaw popping, headaches, earaches, muscle spasms and inflammation of the temporomandibular joint. "It's like getting a charley horse in your legs when you exercise too much," Rosen said. "You get the same cramping in your facial muscles."
The stress of compensating for a bad bite can also cause problems throughout the musculoskeletal system. As muscles tire, many people unknowingly adopt a forward head posture, tilted pelvis or slanted shoulders, leading to neck, shoulder and back pain, which neuromuscular dentists refer to as a "descending problem."Full story