As a neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Quigless has extensive extra training beyond what is offered by dental schools for general dentistry. He has trained at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) and you can read more about his background and affiliations at Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Quigless.
As the name implies, neuromuscular dentistry looks at the nerves and muscles connected with teeth – that is, the jaw muscles and their related nerves. Where a general dentist looks at teeth and gums, a neuromuscular dentist looks at teeth, gums, jaw joints, jaw muscles, and the nerves and blood vessels associated with your bite.
A Well-Aligned Bite
Your occlusion - bite - is a three-point piece of mechanics (chin and two joints) that needs all its parts properly aligned for you to be pain-free. Each jaw joint should be moving smoothly with its cartilage pad in between the upper and lower bones. The jaw should open wide with no popping or other sounds and no discomfort.
When the teeth come together, there should be no bumping or wear and tear. Jaw muscles should be relaxed when the jaw is closed, just as the leg muscles are relaxed when you are seated.
When the Bite is Poorly Aligned
If one or both jaw joints are misaligned, they throw the bite out of alignment. Alternatively, if too many of the teeth are misaligned, they can gradually push the jaw joints out of alignment. The occlusion parts are not working together correctly and you will have uncomfortable or painful symptoms.
This is the condition called Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD or TMJ). Neck pain is one of the many TMD symptoms, as are teeth grinding and headaches. If you have chronic headaches for which no doctor has definitively found a cause, it would be worth your while to visit Dr. Quigless for a TMD diagnosis. If he finds that you do not have TMD, you have at least ruled it out and can go on to other possibilities.
If Dr. Quigless finds that you do have TMD, he can plan a customized treatment for you. TMD is a dental condition and for pain relief, you need the care of a neuromuscular dentist.
To learn more about TMD and whether you have any of its symptoms, please contact our St. Louis, Missouri office for a free neuromuscular consultation.
The Missouri Dental Board and the ADA do not recognize the treatment of TMJ(neuromuscular dentistry) or cosmetic dentistry as a specialty. Further, the ADA does not require any additional training of dentists who perform or advertise these procedures.
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