TMJ Therapy
Dr. St.Clair received his training in this area at The Center for Advanced Dental Study in St. Petersburg, Florida and The Seattle Institute for Advanced Dental Education. In rare situations, when problems appear outside the realm of our practice, you will be referred to specialist.
TMJ / Bite Problems
Did you know that...
- Many types of headaches can be caused by a bite that is out of balance?
Read a newspaper column written by Dr. St. Clair on the relationship between grinding, clenching, and headaches. - Damaging bite forces account for 50% of the reasons that mouths break down?
- Teeth that are chipped and worn are not normal situations?
- Jaw and/or face pain, discomfort or fatigue in the morning may indicate a night-time clenching or grinding problem?
- Noise in your jaw joint (clicking or popping) may indicate structural problems in your jaw joint?
These are just a few of the signs and symptoms that point toward possible bite or joint problems. As part of our comprehensive service, these and other related issues are evaluated at your initial examination and monitored at your dental maintenance appointments.
In most cases of bite-related jaw joint or muscle issues, management can be relatively simple. Balancing the bite forces through selectively re-shaping teeth can be one way to manage the problem. This is called Occlusal Equilibration.
Another frequent method used for alleviating symptoms is the fabrication of an orthotic bite splint or occlusal guard. There are many different types of these appliances based on the nature of the problem. They are all custom-fitted. This is different than the generic “night guard."
By far, the most common appliance we make is called the NTi. You would not believe how small this appliance is.