Richard A. Epstein, DMD, FAGD

TMJ Treatment and Anti-Clenching Devices

According to a recent NY Times article, up to three-fourths of Americans have one or more signs of Temporomandibular joint problems.

Popularly called "TMJ," for the joint where the lower jaw articulates with the skull, the constellation of symptoms associated with this disorder can be complex and difficult to properly diagnose.

Symptoms may include clicking or popping sounds, headaches, muscle spasms or pain in the head and neck, migraines, ringing in the ears, or limited jaw opening.

The condition is multi-factorial, meaning that is a result of both physical (biologic) and psychological (emotional) factors, in various combinations.

The tendency to tighten up the muscles of the head and neck, or to clench or grind your teeth, either during the day or at night, tends to exacerbate problems with the TMJ. Most people do this when they are under emotional or psychological stress.

The most effective treatment would be to get rid of all your stress, but that seems to be a tall task for many people these days. Resting the jaw is the most important therapy.

Dr. Epstein uses a special device, called an NTI-TSS to help your jaw muscles relax when you are under stress. This stands for "Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition- Tension Suppression System," a long way of saying that it interrupts the nerve impulses to the muscles that tighten the jaw.

Originally developed for migraine sufferers, this has proven to be the simplest and most effective therapy treatment for this complex condition, and it is entirely comfortable.