What is Physiologic Dentistry?
Physiologic dentistry is the field of dentistry that looks at all parts that make up your bite including teeth, bones, muscles, nerves, ligaments in addition to other hard and soft tissue.
One of the main causes of TMJ is actually disharmony in the bite system. Each part that makes up the bite has its own idea of where it should rest in your jaw. However, their idea of what’s correct might cause your TMJ pain and other symptoms. With physiologic dentistry, Dr. Massa can treat your bite to bring each part to its correct position. If it goes untreated, it often leads to the muscles overpowering the other pieces that make up your jaw. This can result in wearing down areas of your bite, bruxism and even prompt you to need joint surgery or a dental restoration.
As a neuromuscular physiologic dentist, Dr. Massa examines the muscles of the bite and the joint, not just the teeth and gums. As a result, Dr. Massa performs a proper diagnosis and treatment to reduce the stress on these muscles and within the TMJ joint capsule itself. The goal is to restore balance and harmony to all areas of the jaw and resolve pain.
Symptoms Physiologic Dentistry Can Address
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing and speaking
- Severe headaches/migraines
- Bad posture
- Neck, back, face, jaw pain
- Worn teeth
- Clicking or popping when opening or closing the mouth
- Sleep apnea
Physiologic Dentistry Treatment
To begin your physiologic dentistry treatment, we must first understand where your jaw’s optimal position rests. Using our advanced dental technology, Ulf-Tens, we can help your jaw relax to its most optimal position. Ulf-Tens, or Ultra-Low Frequency Transcutaneous Electric Neural Stimulation, applies rhythmic pulses to your jaw which increases the blood flow and oxygen to relax the muscles. As a result, it causes your jaw to release trapped waste products like lactic acid. This then allows your jaw to relax.
Once your jaw becomes relaxed, Dr. Massa will take note of the position and then come up with a treatment strategy to help your jaw muscles maintain this position long-term. We may also treat your bite issues using special oral appliances like a custom orthotic bite splint until your bite stabilizes. Your treatment may also include orthodontic work such as epigenetic dentistry in addition to restorations like bonding, veneers or crowns.
Benefits of Physiologic Dentistry
There are several benefits of physiologic dentistry. To start, physiologic dentistry can increase your appearance. By bringing your jaw to perfect harmony, it may affect your facial appearance. Your jawline might become more defined and your cheeks and lips might appear plumper. You will also have a better-aligned smile!
Physiologic dentistry also brings the benefit of treating TMJ disorders. This means you won’t experience frequent migraines, jaw, neck, back or face pain and any other symptoms you had will soon go away. Physiologic dentistry can free you of TMJ symptoms for life.
As another benefit, physiologic dentistry can help treat sleep apnea or snoring if it’s related to an airway problem. Oftentimes when the jaw is out of harmony, your airway becomes blocked when you sleep. Through our physiologic dentistry treatment, we are able to help open up your airway which can treat snoring and sleep apnea for good.
Visit Massa Dental Center for Physiologic Dentistry in Naples
If you are in the Naples, FL area and suffering from the symptoms of TMJ or have an off bite, you should contact The Massa Dental Center today. Using their advanced neuromuscular dentistry training and state-of-the-art equipment, they can diagnose your condition and get you on the road to recovery.
Find out more about neuromuscular dentistry in Naples and Ft. Myers, Florida. Contact the neuromuscular professionals at Massa Dental Center today for a TMJ/TMD evaluation by calling (239) 597-7333.