HOW FAST CAN ONE EXPECT TMJ PAIN IMPROVEMENT?

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December 11, 2012 at 3:44pm

There are many factors that must be considered when TMJ/TMD and orofacial pain patients wonder when their pain will be resolved.  Its hard to put a “realistic” time frame on things when there could be multi-layered issues involved.

Improvement doesn’t mean “cured” or total resolution. Most cases with chronic pain (depending on the pain problem) can improve within 24-48 hours when wearing a properly micro occlusal (fine tuned and adjusted) lower anatomical GNM orthotic.

Chronic pain conditions depending on the problems may take longer. There are various types of temporomandibular joint dyfunctions, pains and masticatory muscle dysfunctions each individual has.  Patients with cervical neck alignment as well as pelvis imbalances also are contributor factors that may influence the resolution time frame in treatment TMJ/TMD occlusal problems.

It’s difficult to predict how each individual case will respond to occlusal orthotic treatment.  Not all muscles, not all joints, not all teeth/occlusal schemes and not all CNS systems function the same. Some cases have other factors such as stress factors, emotional factors, biochemical factors that play a role in influencing the bigger picture. There is no guarantees for neither the patient or the treating dentist and other health care professional involved in the case to know exactly how the patient will actually respond to treatment, but in general most cases respond and patients experience improvement when the GNM orthotic is proper occlusal managed.

Most patients realize what is improving and what other aspects in their condition are not improving, thus follow up visits naturally are required since the body is dynamically changing and altering.

Different cases naturally change more than others, thus a need to adjust the orthotic more frequently when necessary in order to keep pace with the postural changes that can occur as muscles seek a neutral position.

How much change will occur?  Again no one knows the specifics on this.

How many visits are required?  Again it is very hard for anyone to know except that we know from physiologic science that the body is seeking a neutral position. As long as the body is not neutral there can be strains and muscle tightness.

As the orthotic is refined and adjusted over time most patients feel the improved differences in their bite and muscles. That is why each case is individual and will vary depending on the conditions (whether they are wide goal posted – with a greater adaptive capacity to accommodate to changes vs. narrow goal posted type cases – with very little adaptive capacity to accommodate easily and quickly) now add the various contributing combinations of problems mentioned above then one will realize how complex TMJ/TMD really is.

– Clayton A. Chan, D.D.S. – Las Vegas, NV

Read more: TREATMENT

• Occlusal Bite Adjustments: When to Grind and When Not to Grind
• How Often Does the Dentist Adjust the Orthotic Before, During and After Chiropractic Treatment?
• How Fast Can One Expect TMJ Pain Improvement
• When is Changing Vertical Dimension of  Occlusion (VDO) is Clinically Acceptable
• Parameters of Physiologic Health: Post TMJ Treatment
• Anatomy of the Temporomandibular Joint
• TMJ Care and Management Guidelines
• TMJ Treatment Modalities, Devices and Tests Available
• TMD Problems that Challenge Dentistry – Four Main Categories
• Limited Mouth Opening Problems

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