Neuromuscular Dentistry

Modern dentistry expands its reach beyond your teeth, to your total health.  Advances in the science of complete dentistry have taught us how to bring the jaw into a relaxed position to help alleviate years of pain and discomfort.

Neuromuscular dentistry uses the relaxed position of the muscles of the head and neck to place the jaw into an optimal physiologic position.  Twenty-five years of research and clinical experience have shown this position to be effective in treating patients with head and neck pain. 

Who is affected?

Temporomandibular joint disease (also known as TMD or TMJ) affects 75 million people at any one time.  It is a chronic degenerative disease that may take years to develop. People who suffer from TMD have a structural imbalance in their jaw-to-skull relationship, caused by a bad bite.  This disease causes the following:

1. Alteration of the position of the temporomandibular joint by placing excessive pressure on the joint and tissues around them.
2. Twisting the jaw into a strained position. This further affects the muscles in the face, back, neck and shoulders.

What are the symptoms?

You may be a candidate for neuromuscular dentistry if you experience any of the following symptoms on a regular basis:

1. Headaches or migraines
2. Unexplained loose teeth
3. Worn, chipped or cracked teeth
4. Cracking, chipping or breaking dental restorations
5. Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
6. Pain in teeth that seems to move around
7. Neck, shoulder or back pain
8. Facial pain
9. Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
10. Limited movement or locking jaw
11. Numbness in your fingers and arms
12. Congestion or stuffiness of the ears 

Phone: 818.889.0400
Alt: 805.373.8811
Fax: 818.889.9032
32144 Agoura Road, Suite 206
Westlake Village, CA 91361
Kathleen Carson, DDS

How can you help me? Dr. Carson is well trained and highly capable of treating the neuromuscular symptoms of a patient with a poor bite (malocclusion).  Following a comprehensive examination, the doctor may diagnose malocclusion and recommend a treatment plan that will correct your bite and alleviate pain and discomfort. To correct this malocclusion, Dr. Carson may recommend the use of dental restorations that can precisely raise or lower areas of your bite to create a naturally comfortable position for your jaw.  Dr. Carson's office currently uses the Myotronics K7 system in diagnosis of TMJ/TMD.  They also use the TENSing Unit, an electrical muscle stimulator which exercises your facial and jaw muscles, to find your most relaxed state.  In most cases, we can reposition your jaw without surgery or braces. How will I look following the treatment? We find that many patients experience a moderate to significant change in their facial appearance following completion of the treatment.  Patients with recessed lower jaws may have a new profile, accenting a stronger jaw line and chin.  Areas of the jaw that may have protruded excessively will be pulled back in alignment.  In addition, all of the restorations necessary to correct the bite will be created with consideration to the aesthetic result of the smile.  Not only can this procedure correct pain, it can also result in the smile you have always dreamed about.