Ellen had been to over a dozen doctors for pain associated with daily headaches, neck pain, and loss of feeling in her right hand. As each specialist examined her, it became more and more likely that she would be living on pain pills for the rest of her life. After a visit to an ENT doctor, she was referred to our practice for evaluation of TMD, temperomandibular disorder. This is a condition caused by orthopedic misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. It can result in a wide variety of symptoms, including but not limited to: muscle strain, recurrent headaches, pain in and around the ears, prolonged ear congestion, recurrent sinus infections, ringing in the ears, dizzy spells, tooth grinding, and loss of feeling in the fingers.


After examining Ellen, it became apparent that her bite was severely overclosed. When she bit down, it was very difficult to see any of her lower teeth due to an overlap of her front teeth. She also exhibited extreme wear patterns on her teeth, suggestive of nighttime tooth grinding. I explained to her that an orthopedic misalignment of her jaws or a bad bite was causing muscle strain that she perceived as headaches. The tooth grinding was the brain's way of trying to find a better bite in order to relieve the muscles of the strain, but it was not working. I suggested that she return for a full examination involving the use of computerized diagnostic scans to fully understand the extent of her condition, to be followed by muscle relaxation and the fabrication of a bite correcting appliance called an orthotic. This orthtotic is a clear plastic removable appliance that fits over the lower teeth. Its function is to gently guide the patient into a correct bite position in order to allow the strained muscles to rest and heal. Within 2-3 weeks Ellen noticed a significant reduction in both the number and intensity of her headaches. During the diagnostic session, we discovered that she also suffered with a misalignment in her neck. After getting initial improvement from the orthotic, we later referred her to an Atlas Orthogonist Chiropractor to correct the postural problem in her neck. Within a couple of months we were able to eliminate her headaches and neck pain completely, and she got full feeling back in her hand.



If you or a loved one are suffering from any of the above symptoms and have been to a medical doctor or chiropractor without success, consider being evaluated for neuromuscular dentistry or a TMJ exam. A simple non-invasive examination will allow us to determine whether or not your pain may be bite related.

Labels: headaches, tmd, tmj