TMJ Treatment

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)

Possibly Dr. Marshall's most satisfying day is one where she has eliminated the pain for a patient from TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). A painful and sometimes debilitating disease, TMJ can present itself in many forms:

Dr. Marshall's philosophy involves a conservative non-surgical approach to treatment with an emphasis on multidisciplinary networking.

The staff consists of highly trained professionals who have a sincere interest and dedication to patient needs.

Objective documentation and verification of injuries is provided through the use of state-of-the-art equipment.

Neuromuscular dentistry goes beyond just looking at and treating the teeth. The role of the soft tissues—muscles and nerves—may play a role in a patient's symptoms. It addresses the dynamic relationships related to the physiologic range of motion and body posture. This is based upon the ability to objectively measure muscle function and correlate it to proper jaw posture and its movement in function. With dysfunction, rarely can a patient voluntarily relax the muscles that are held in constant tension. Dr. Marshall applies ultra-low frequency electrical neural stimulation (TENS) in order to 'de-program' the muscles. Muscles are exercised "artificially" to restore normal blood flow and wash away toxic wastes. Dr. Marshall is then able to measure and compare data from the pre- and post-relaxed states with highly sensitive EMG instrumentation. This data, together with information about jaw position and function from a computerized mandibular scanner (CNS) allows her to clearly rule in or out muscle spasm as the probable source of dysfunction. It is a complete tool in measuring the effective position that the jaw joint has in contributing to painful symptoms.