Traditional dentistry puts a lot of focus on the health of your gums and teeth. On the other hand, cosmetic and neuromuscular dentistry focuses on issues beyond treating gum and teeth problems such as teeth appearance and bringing relief to patients with long-term undiagnosed pain. Dr. Scott Young is a renowned dental professional with specialties in general dentistry and most aspects of the cosmetic and neuromuscular dentistry field. More about what these fields entail is discussed in detail below.
What is Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is a medical profession that puts a lot of emphasis on improving your teeth’s appearance.
Neuromuscular dentistry is the science whereby the relaxed position of the head and neck muscles are determined to place the jaw in the optimal physiological condition for function and comfort. The optimal placement of your jaw is also determined when correcting misalignment so that the upper and lower teeth come together fittingly.
Stress from your jaw muscles and painful symptoms of certain disorders can be removed through jaw alignment procedures such as tooth recontouring, dental restorations, or orthodontics.
Signs and Symptoms
Several symptoms and signs may indicate the presence of a neuromuscular issue and may include:
- Shoulder, neck, back pain
- Frequent headaches
- Teeth grinding or clenching
- Unexplained loose teeth
- Clicking, pain, or popping in the joints
- Numbness in fingers and arms
- Facial pain
- Pain behind the eyes
- TMJ
- Congestion or ringing in the ears
Diagnosis
Dentists may employ various diagnostic techniques apart from digital radiographs and x-rays to determine the condition and position of the jaw joints to alleviate discomforting symptoms.
These techniques include:
- Electromyography is done to measure the relaxed and stressed positions of your jaw while identifying any structural problems in the jaw joint
- Computerized devices to record the resting position of the jaw and other movements, including how it closes
- Joint vibration analysis or sonography to record jaw joint sounds, thus identifying abnormalities
Procedures involved in Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry
There are various dental services available for healthy functioning teeth, including:
- Cosmetic bonding to repair tiny cracks or chips
- Oral exams and cleaning to maintain healthy teeth and catch dental diseases early
- Bridgework and crowns to replace lost tooth structure or missing teeth
- Extractions to get rid of unhealthy teeth that can not be saved
- Dental implants for long-lasting tooth replacement
- Inlays and Onlays to fill teeth with bigger holes
- Fillings to restore decayed teeth
- Oral cancer screenings
- Invisalign clear aligners for discreet orthodontic treatment
- Porcelain veneers for large cracks and chips and tooth reshaping
- Orthodontic treatment for proper tooth positioning
- Root canal treatment to rescue infected teeth
- Removable dentures placement
- Teeth whitening to fix discolored teeth
- Sealants to prevent cavities
- Tooth-colored fillings
- TMD treatment to deal with jaw pain
- Tooth decay prevention
Dental problems typically affect your appearance and may affect how you feel about yourself. On the other hand, they may also lead to subsequent conditions with more adverse effects. Dental checkups are thus necessary and crucial. For any dental inquiries, call our offices in Woodlands, TX.