Temporomandibular joint disease (also known as TMJ) affects 75 million people at any one time. It is a chronic degenerative disease that may take years to develop. People who suffer from TMJ have a structural imbalance in their jaw-to-skull relationship, caused by a bad bite. This disease causes:

• excessive pressure to be placed on the temporomandibular joint and surrounding tissues, altering their ideal position.


• the jaw to twist into a strained position affecting the muscles in the face, back, neck and shoulders.

Signs and Symptoms
You may be a candidate for neuromuscular dentistry if you experience any of the following symptoms on a regular basis:

• Headaches or migraines
• Unexplained loose teeth
• Worn, chipped or cracked teeth
• Cracked, chipped or broken dental restorations
• Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
• Pain in teeth that seems to move around
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Facial pain
• Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
• Limited movement or locking jaw
• Numbness in your fingers and arms
• Congestion or stuffiness of the ears
• Ringing in ears
• Loss of balance
• Loss of hearing