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Neuromuscular Dentistry
What is it?

What is TMD / TMJ:
Let me ask you a question, have you ever been to the dentist and had a filling (crown) placed and then afterward the tooth or teeth or the jaw hurt afterwards? It may not be a high filling or an abscessing tooth. Sometimes you can't even tell where it is actually hurting.

[A Bad Bite can Trigger Headaches (Muscle Activity)]

In dental school we were taught that the teeth are attached to the jaws that are part of the head and neck. There are also muscles, joints, nerves and blood vessels that make up this whole head and neck complex. . . somewhere along the line some dentists have forgotten that.

Neuromuscular dentistry goes beyond not only the hard tissues but also the soft tissues - muscles and nerves. We understand that there is a balance between the bodies ability to adapt to imperfection and the stresses placed on its physiologic range of motion and body posture. Thus our office relies on having the ability to objectively measure muscle function and correlate it to a proper jaw posture and its movements in function.

When the harmony of the teeth, the facial muscles, and the temporomandibular joints no longer exists symptoms of what has been identified as TMJ/ TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction) arises. Here are the symptoms that we see most often:

	Headaches		Sensitive and sore teeth
	Facial pain		Neck and should aches
	Ringing in the ears		Jaw pain
	Ear congestion		Clicking/ Popping in the joints
	Worn down teeth		Clenching &/or Bruxing
	Limited opening of the mouth		Cervical/ Neck problems
	Loose teeth		Tingling in the fingertips
	Forward head posturing

WHAT'S THE POINT?
In our office, Neuromuscular Dentistry emphasizes the need to establish an occlusion based upon:

	the most stable position and function of the temporomandibular joints
	the most relaxed resting posture and function of the masticatory (chewing) muscles.

A Neuromuscular Dentist can determine a proper resting jaw position that effects the facial head and neck muscles, the teeth as well as the joints. A physiologic resting position and body posture is often overlooked and not even considered as an important part of the whole dental system. Our success is in the philosophy of taking a neuromuscular approach in all facets of our dentistry including orthodontics, TMJ/ Myo-facial pain problems and all areas of restorative and aesthetic treatments.

Once again we're investing in technology so we can treat our patients with state-of-the-art equipment for the "gold standard" of care.

Hudson Valley Neuromuscular Dentistry
Dr. Joseph Gulak, DDS
419 East Main Street
#302 Wisner Professional Building
Middletown, NY 10940
845-343-6231

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