Animal Dental Care

July 30, 2007- CINCINNATI, OHIO – People don’t often think to consult their dentist for treatment of migraines and other chronic headaches, neck aches and facial pain, but they should.

These debilitating symptoms often are the result of temporomandibular joint disorder- commonly referred to as TMJ- a jaw alignment and bite disorder that can be treated through neuromuscular dentistry.

The TMJ is the ball-and-socket joint on each side of the head where the lower jawbone joins the temporal bone of the skull, according to www.mayoclinic.com.

The lower jaw has rounded ends that glide in and out of the joint socket when talking, chewing or yawning.

Between five percent and 15 percent of people in the United States experience pain associated with TMJ disorders, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health . Women are more likely than men to develop TMJ disorders.

In most cases, pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorders can be treated through self-managed care or non-surgical treatments, said Dr. Mindy Munowitz, a dentist who specializes in neuromuscular and cosmetic dentistry in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, more severe cases may require further dental or surgical treatment. Munowitz uses neuromuscular dentistry to treat patients suffering from TMJ. Neuromuscular dentistry places the jaw into its optimal position and relieves the symptoms associated with TMJ.

While traditional dentistry evaluates primarily the teeth, bones and gums, neuromuscular dentistry works with the hard tissues and the soft tissues, muscles and nerves, according to the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies .