Hi. One of my sons has been dealing with TMD/TMJ issues for about a year. I have exchanged some very helpful PMs with several people here on CC, so hoping for more information from the collective wisdom of this forum.
As we have (unfortunately) learned, the process from “diagnosis” to the correct treatment for TMD is time consuming, expensive and frustrating. There are so many differing opinions on the subject and it feels as if every specialist has their own theory as to what works and doesn’t work. As a result, most patients end up seeing a myriad of dentists, oral surgeons, etc before they find the correct doctor and treatment. My son is no exception. He has already seen quite a list of doctors, had PT, an MRI, is currently on his second splint (mouth-guard), etc, etc. He has improved but is still experiencing symptoms at various times.
At this point, we feel the need to continue researching and recently met with a Neuromuscular dentist. We really liked him and everything he said sounded positive. But, after doing some research, I read several articles suggesting this “neuromuscular” dentistry thing is a scam - a money maker for the practice. They do use expensive equipment (TENS machine, K7 machine) to diagnose and adjust the splint and it is fairly pricey. I fully realize that you can find anything online - positive or negative so I am interested in knowing if anyone has personal experience with this particular treatment?
Feel free to PM me if you don’t want to post negative (or positive) info publicly.
Dwhite - we have PMed about this. I am a little skeptical about neuromuscular dentistry. One TMJ specialist at a research university told me to avoid them (but he also gave up on trying to treat my family member.)
PT have TENS machines they can use for treatment (in addition to ultrasound).
I understand where you are coming from - the last TMJ specialist swore by atlas orthogonal chiro for treatment as the only possible solution!
I think you need to be cautious about anything that permanently changes the bite/jaw. The treatment might not work and could make things worse. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have even allowed the dentist to treat with a MORA (which is a repositioning splint). Some of these treatments end up causing an open bite which is another problem (front teeth not meeting at all).
I would recommend a new PT - I have witnessed several treating TMD and they all have different techniques/tools - he might do better with a different PT who uses different exercises/equipment. The thing about PT is that (also true with chiro) it is non-permanent, non-invasive and conservative.
I think there are two things to keep in mind - one is that TMD will not be cured - he may have some issues for the rest of his life. The other is that TMD is about a lot of things interacting - posture, alignment, jaw, teeth, stress, neck, muscles, etc. and therefore it is difficult to keep everything always in balance.
@kiddie - how long did the MORA treatment last before the decision was made to stop? I do think my S needs some type of guard for his bruxism - just wish there was one that relaxed his muscles sufficiently without permanent changes.
Two MORA’s ($1,000 each) - one for day and one for night - day used for about 4 months - night used for closer to 6 months. Now using a night guard that completely prevents bruxism (teeth cannot touch) but does not affect bite (basically holds teeth apart at night during sleep).
I think it is - but a lot of things are working together to help - a lot less stress (this is a big one), nightguard preventing grinding, regular PT, doing exercises every day (including some stretching before eating), paying attention to posture (including a lumbar cushion for sitting), etc.
Hey - new to CC and in fact this is my first post. I am a dentist, btw. Bruxism and associated TMD has recently been associated with airway blockages and narrowing. Look at your son from the side (profile) - does he have an upright posture or are his neck and chin jutted forward? Does he have a narrow maxilla with high vaulted palatal arch? Is he a mouth breather? I would suggest first having him evaluated by an EMT to evaluate his tonsils and adenoids and have them removed if necessary. Then proceed from there. hth !!