NMSU,

The most important thing when having an orthotic made is determining where the orthotic will position the lower jaw relative to the Base of Skull/Upper Jaw/Upper Teeth.

I use an advanced Computer Diagnostic System called the Myotronics K7 to determine the lower jaw position that my orthotics hold my patients lower jaws so that the muscles of the head and the neck that attach to the lower jaw can be as relaxed as possible when my patients jaws are at rest.

Finding the exact position that the lower jaw should be held (by the orthotic) so that your symptoms decrease is a very exacting clincial science and requires a lot of education and training. Most dentists and TMJ specialists don't have this kind of training.

As long as your dentist is not making an orthotic that holds your jaw in some random arbitrarily chosen position, you should be OK, but prior to having a TMJ Orthotic made, you should ask your dentist:

"How are you going to determine WHERE my orthotic is going to hold my lower jaw to insure that the muscles that attach to the lower jaw will be as relaxed as possible?"

The answer should be: "

I am going to determine where your lower jaw should be so that the muscles that attach to your lower jaw can be as relaxed as possible, because when the muscles that attach to the lower jaw are relaxed, your pain of muscular origin will decrease".

If you don't get an answer like that, you may want to google: Your City and Neuromuscular Dentist.

Watch this video that I made for my patients that shows how improper tooth position causes improper lower jaw position which causes stress to the muscles that attach to the lower jaw which causes muscle spasm which you feel as a headache, migraine, neck pain, back pain or shoulder pain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjSlRZnfvIc&list=PL9BA55C8C2696B80D

Good Luck,

Dr. Scott Tamura
Daily Strength TMJ Expert

EAch case with TMJ is so different, have you had a TMJ MRI and cone beam ct scan to know the full understanding of your condition? An MRI will look at the placement of your discs and a cone beam can give good details about the condition of your condyles and other bone structure. without these tests any treatment you have is just guessing. Also the tests need to be read by a TMJ specialist, radiologists don't read them very often and can often read them wrong.

Tmj is tricky and you need to be well informed of your condition. Any orthotic that will change your bite can cause damage to your joints, so please be aware of this and be cautious.

http://www.tmjhope.org/self-care/

yes!! They are great! Mine broke. You will feel better every day. :)