What is the difference between acute and chronic pain?
Over 95% of the pain pathologies are acute pains. The other 5% of pain is chronic pain. Chronic pain is defined as pain lasting longer than 1 month with multiple aggravators, perpetuators, or initiators sensitizing the pain reporting system. If you’ve tried a onetime treatment such as medication, bite appliance, or soft diet and it has not worked or worked well, it is time to consider that your pain may be a chronic pain.
My dentist wants to try a soft biteguard for MPD/TMD. Should I try this?
This is a therapy for protecting teeth from grinding. It is not an appliance for TMD/MPD. It helps protect the teeth but it typically makes MPD pain worse. Soft biteguards increase parafunction, load joints, and muscle activity.
What will happen if I have braces to treat my MPD?
In the past, dentist thought bite was the cause of MPD. Now bite or occlusion is recognized as only one of the factors. Thus, braces will likely not help considering the bite is only a small part of the problem. Based on a study, 1/3 of patients get worse, 1/3 stay same, and 1/3 get better. This means that 2/3 of patients do not get a pain reduction
I heard crowning my teeth would fix my MPD. Is this true?
No. The open mouth procedure can make your pain significantly worse. The crown procedure is based on a patient's bite being stable, but the bite is not stable with MPD. The jaw joints are being stabilized on slick inclines and the muscles are in different contraction vectors and forces. The dentist will not be able to get the crown, bridge, partial, or implant comfortable.
What percentage of TMD cases need surgery?
Less than 3% of cases require Arthoscopic surgery.
Why is an orthotic appliance the proper appliance for treating TMD/MPD?
An orthotic is the only appliance that is backed by science. It:
- idealizes a person's bite
- is similar in its function to a back brace
- reduces muscle activity
- protects joints
- is versatile (can be adapted to anyone’s bite irregularities)
- reduces muscle and joint inflammation
- protects the teeth
- stabilizes the teeth
- protects bone support to the teeth.
