riniker

FREESTOCKPHOTOS.COM

Topics:

CCMD Therapy
Cranial (head), Cervical (neck), Mandibular (jaw) Dysfunction

Subjects Covered:
		Self Test
		Facts about your bite
		Why dentistry?
		References

Could your bite be related to your headaches, shoulder tension, and back pain?

Self test for bite problems:
	Pain: Is it painful to open or close your mouth? Do you have facial pain, headaches shoulder tension, or low back pain?

	Clicking: Does your jaw click, grate, or make noises?

	Bite: Do you have difficulty chewing or the feeling that your teeth don't fit together right?

	Jaw: Does your jaw deviate to one side when you open your mouth or is it difficult to open it all the way?

	Respiratory: Do you have difficulty breathing through your nose or wake up in the morning with a dry mouth?

	Infections: Do you have reoccurring sinus or ear infections?

	Posture: Do you have poor head, neck, and back posture?

	Ears: Do you have ringing in your ears, dizziness, or difficulty clearing your ears?

	Orthodontics: Did you ever have orthodontics, undergo extraction of teeth, or wear headgear?

	Dental: Do you have several root canals, many crowns, or a complex dental history?

Note that these symptoms have numerous causes and may be unrelated

Facts about your bite:

Patients suffering from head, neck, and/or jaw pain (CCMD) often present challenging cases to manage. In the past, negative or inconclusive findings often lead to prolonged drug therapy, oral surgery, a frustrating doctor-to-doctor search by the patient, and sometime an incorrect diagnosis of psychosomatic illness.
Today, with dentistry, new knowledge and technology, we can carry the diagnostic services one step further to identify the true cause of head, neck, jaw, and facial pain. Working together with the physician and other health care professionals brings effective "team management" to correct the problem.

Why Dentistry?

The jaw is literally one end of the postural (skeletal) chain. An imperfect bite can, over time, result in tension in the muscles of the face and jaw. This condition, or the trauma of accidental injury, can result in a state of sustained elevation of activity of the jaw, face, and neck muscles.
The delayed onset of muscle spasm following whiplash injury is a prime example. Prolonged spasm of muscles can lead to chronic or transient muscle pain, often perceived in other areas as referred pain and thus subject to misdiagnosis.
One-sided twists or imbalances can be transferred down the skeletal chain to cause tension and pain in the shoulders, low back, or hips. We bring holistic, computerized, diagnostic skills to the health care team to address the special needs of the patient with head, neck, or jaw pain. Once accurately diagnosed, conservative but effective oral appliances, rather than surgery or drugs, are often the most effective for long term pain relief.

The information contained herein has been obtained from a variety of sources. This document is presented to increase awareness of the topic and educate the general public. It is not intended to be an extensive discussion of this subject, or to provide specific treatment guidelines.

References:
American Academy of Head Neck and Facial Pain
Dr. Wesley E. Shankland: TMJ and Facial Pain Center, Columbus, OH