If you have head, neck, and/or back pain, you might want to consider seeing Dr. Chang, not your doctor right away.
Dr. Chang here at Evergreen Dental Care in Alhambra is a holistic dentist. Holistic dentists believe that since the body is one unit, everything is connected to your overall health. This also means a problem in one part of the body can cause pain in another part of the body you might not expect.
Your teeth could very well be the culprit for your head, neck, or back pain. As you swallow, your top and bottom teeth naturally come together because your jaw muscles, called the temporomandibular muscles, contract to perform the action of swallowing. Overtime, if you have an irregular bite, this can cause the muscles to strain and work harder to perform such actions. According to Dr. Miyasaki, an instructor of neuromuscular dentistry in Sacramento, because these muscles are near your neck and connected to the muscles of the head, neck, and spine, pain can be seen in those areas.
How do I know if my pain is connected related to my teeth?
Head, neck, and back pain can be caused for many reasons. However, there are some signs and symptoms to look out for if you believe it’s caused by your bite and jaw muscles. Due to the muscles tensing, nerves can be pinched causing fluctuations in blood pressure and a tingling sensation in the fingers. If gone untreated for some time, worse effects such as misalignment of the spine and back spasms can occur.
Holistic dentists like Dr. Chang and Dr. Miyasaki have a way of testing whether or not your pain is likely caused by your bite and jaw muscles. They can measure the activity of the temporomandibular muscles to see how much tension is needed for the muscles to swallow and perform other actions. If it’s determined the amount of activity is too high and is the cause of the head, neck, and/or back pain, they can find a better alignment for your bite and jaw to relax the muscles and solve the pain.
How does neuromuscular dentistry solve my pain?
Once you see Dr. Chang regarding your pain and it’s determined that it is the result of your temporomandibular muscles, Dr. Chang can find the best alignment of your bite and jaw bone to relax the muscles. An acrylic appliance is used to realign the teeth and jaw bone for a better bite. This should ease the tension of the surrounding head, neck, and back muscles to stop the pain. Repositioning your bite and jaw bone allows the jaw muscles to more easily perform tasks such as swallowing.
So keep in mind that your head, neck, or back pain might be caused by a misalignment of your bite. If you think this could be the case for you, please contact Dr. Chang of Evergreen Dental Care today, your local Alhambra holistic dentist.
