A very interesting study that was just released at the 2012 World Congress on Pain in Milan, Italy, states , “that people afflicted with chronic oralfacial pain are much more likely to be debilitated by their condition thatn those with chronic backaches or chronic headaches.” Briefly the researchers discovered that patients with TMJ or TMD had the highest proportions of pain that caused disablities. This goes on to conclude that the significance of this type of pain has been highly overlooked in our society. On a personal level, this is not surprising to me. Every day our office sees and treats TMJ pain patients who describe the detremintal affects that this has on their lives. This can range from not being able to care for their kids, not being able to focus on work or anything else, and even not being able to eat anything other than soft foods. The good news is that almost all TMJ can be treated non-surgically and most can have a really good long term prognosis. Neuromuscular dentistry is one area that focuses on looking at the overall patients muscular and joint issues not just the mouth In fact, we often work closely with physical therapists to help our patients with their neck and postural issues that have changed as a result of their TMJ problems. If you have any questions about Houston TMJ or Houston Cosmetic Dentistry, please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF 713-668-2289
