TMJ / Neuromuscular Dentistry

If you have suffered for years from the uncomfortable symptoms of TMJ/TMD, the day you are finally diagnosed is most likely one of happiness and relief. Many people visit one or more doctors seeking relief from the painful TMJ headaches, only to receive a pain prescription that helps in the short term but does not address the cause of their headaches.

As a trained neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Stephen Sulzbach can diagnose your TMD, plan and carry out your TMD treatment, and relieve you at last of the TMD pain and discomfort. Dr. Sulzbach treats TMD patients in the Harleysville and Souderton area from his Lansdale, Pennsylvania office.

To accurately diagnose TMD, Dr. Sulzbach has invested in a sophisticated piece of dental technology called the K7 Evaluation System. He also uses a device called a TENS unit (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) to treat TMJ symptoms.

Measuring and Recording Your Bite

When Dr. Sulzbach uses the K7 system, he will settle you in a comfortable chair and place a lightweight sensor on your head or around your neck. There are three parts to what the K7 system does:

• Track and record your jaw movements in 3D
• Create an electromyograph – an image of your jaw muscle electrical activity
• Record all jaw joint vibration (sounds) when you move your lower jaw

The system will create two printouts – one for you with understandable graphs and diagrams and one with added details for Dr. Sulzbach. This information tells Dr. Sulzbach exactly how your jaw joints are operating and if and how they are misaligned. Dr. Sulzbach can then answer your questions about TMJ and discuss your TMJ treatment options.

Pain Relief Using the TENS Unit

The little TENS unit is battery-powered and has a number of electrodes that deliver mild electrical stimulation. Dr. Sulzbach will place these in strategic positions on your head and neck areas and you can doze off or listen to music for 20 to 30 minutes. The TENS unit will contract and relax your jaw muscles until they are entirely relaxed, relieving your TMJ symptoms.

With your jaw muscles relaxed, the pain is gone. Your jaw is also in its correct position. Dr. Sulzbach can now work toward the goal of your TMD treatment — to make this relaxed, correct position permanent.

Each case of TMD is unique, so your TMJ treatment will be customized precisely for you. It may involve use of a custom orthotic worn at night, dental work to correct your teeth alignment, or orthodontic correction using Bioliners™ or braces.

There is no need for anybody to suffer the unpleasant symptoms of TMD now that a qualified neuromuscular dentist can so easily diagnose it.

If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Sulzbach, please contact our dental office in Lansdale, Pennsylvania today.