TMJ / Neuromuscular

Alexandria Cosmetic Dentistry Serving Northern Virginia and Surrounding Areas

TMJ or TMD as it is called is a painful joint disorder affecting a high percentage of Americans.  Dr. Varipapa is the only dentist in metropolitan Washington who has completed studies at four major institutes who train dentists in the treatment of TMJ, TMD and neuromuscular dentistry.  His training at the Pankey Institute www.pankey.org and the Las Vegas Institute have given him the tools to help unravel your symptoms and develop a treatment and possibly even a cure for you TMJ disorder.  Dr Varipapa has also completed studies at The Dawson Center and The Spear Institute.  His training involved understanding the relationships between the TMJ joint, the muscles and the jaw itself.  This understanding will help you learn what it is that is affecting your jaw and the pain or discomfort you are having.

What is TMJ or TMD?

The Temporomandibular Joint is also called the TMJ Joint.  TMJ and TMD are one in the same.  The disorder or disease is known as TMJ Disorder, Temporomandibular Disorder and Neuromuscular Disease as well as a handful of other common terms. 

Let me explain how TMJ Disorder manifests itself.  THE TM Joint lines up and rests on a small cartilage type disc that is connected in the front to a muscle of the jaw and face and in the rear to a ligament that is attached to a bone that rests behind the disc and joint socket.  The joint slides down and forward resting on the disc, the disc slides along with the joint as the jaw opens and closes. Often the bite is off, the ligament is stretched or the muscles just can't relax in place and they can go into spasm causing pain and discomfort.  Sometimes the ligament is torn or stretched because the muscle pulls so hard on it tears.  The muscles always win and it becomes important in TMJ therapy to find the most ideal and comfortable position for the muscles to be.  Through various techniques that are safe and comfortable  we can determine the muscle position that is best for you and study to see how your TMJ pain, headaches, neck pain and even back pain goes away. As you go through this process you will learn how you TMJ and neuromuscular pain came to be and you will understand how it can go away through modern conservative dentistry.  Dr Varipapa will take his time to help you through this process so that you understand better and can live a normal life again.

Treating TMJ/Neuromuscular Dentistry

TMJ treatment is not the same for everyone, once we have determined with you the cause of you problem specifically we will move to the next step of studying your individual case and making suggestions to treat it for you.  Once we have collected pertinent information in a clinical examination, studied the findings of that examination we will recommend treatment options to you.  These options may involve any series of treatments from simple exercises to more advanced treatments depending on the degree of your disorder.  We are all different and each person’s plan is often not the same.

If you like so many others suffer from chronic neck pain, jaw pain, back and shoulder pain you may have TMJ or Neuromuscular disease that is treatable and can be normal once again.  Call us today for a private appointment with Dr. Varipapa.

 More Questions? : Call now 703-299-9899