Can Neuromuscular Dentistry Prevent Headaches?

People who suffer from constant headaches often become desperate to find a treatment that works for them. Unless the root cause of the headache is discovered, just treating the symptoms over and over again with more painkillers is never likely to be a long term solution.

This area of headache treatment – neuromuscular dentistry – is not practiced by every dentist and seems to be more common in the USA than in Europe or the UK, although the idea is gaining ground.

What is Neuromuscular Dentistry?

The idea behind this form of dental diagnosis and treatment is that many disorders can stem from problems with the jaw. If the jaw is not aligned correctly, they argue, this can cause muscle tension, pressure on nerves and inflammation that leads to pain sensations. Some of this pain may be referred into the face or the head – and so be experienced as a headache.

A neuromuscular dentist uses sophisticated equipment to follow the tiny details of every jaw movement. Techniques used include computerised mandibular scanning and analysis of the movement of the jaws. Electrodes are also placed on the muscles that move the jaw to detect the electrical activity when the jaw is moving in different ways. Ultrasound scanning and joint vibration analysis can also be used.

A neuromuscular dentists uses all of these tools to see if the jaw in someone who is having chronic headaches is either misaligned, or is being prevented by moving normally because of a muscle problem. Once he or she has identified the problem, the dentist can then design a special brace, or orthotic, for the patient to wear to correct the misalignment. Unlike a brace to correct crooked teeth, such as many teenagers wear, this type of orthotic is designed to fit over the teeth and to be worn only at night.

Does Neuromuscular Dentistry Work?

This is a treatment that has not been subject to rigorous clinical trials but there are many accounts from neuromuscular dentists and their patients that people do find that the treatment helps over time. It is generally not a quick fix. Correcting the alignment of the jaw, the way the muscles work and the way the teeth fit together takes 3-6 months of constantly wearing the brace.

Who Provides Neuromuscular Dentistry in the UK?

This specialised treatment is not inexpensive – so is not available on the NHS. It is only offered by some dentists in the UK and these all tend to be in private practice and are likely to offer neuromuscular dentistry as a form of cosmetic dentistry, even though the treatment is intended to have a medical benefit.

Cosmetic dentists also carry out the treatment to correct problems such as a misaligned bite, which can cause problems chewing, or can result in constant ‘biting’ of the lips and inside of the cheek. It can also help with teeth grinding – people who grind their teeth in their sleep without realising it often find that head and facial pain lessens once they wear the brace. Having the orthotic in place during the night stops teeth grinding immediately, so this treatment can generally produce quite fast results.

Other Health Problem Treated by Neuromuscular Dentistry

In addition to headaches, this specialised form of dental treatment can also help reduce referred back, neck or shoulder pain, tingling in the arms or fingers, ear problems and ear aches and can reduce the ‘popping’ sensation that often happens when people move the jaw from side to side.