Boston Prosthodontist Explains Computer-Guided TMJ Therapy

T Scan III TMJ Treatment successfully eliminates TMJ Dysfunction without Mouthguards 

The cause of Muscular TMJ pain is prolonged molar tooth contact during chewing and clenching and grinding. This painful physilogic mechanism described below: 

Jaw Muscle Pain is actually caused by the amount of time molar teeth engage, which can occur in a well aligned  bite (like one made with Braces) or in a not so well aligned bite, where back teeth can be twisted or tipped into less than ideal alignment.

Well aligned

Poorly Aligned

The T Scan Computerized occlusal Analysis System made it possible to really “see” fractions of seconds of excessive tooth contact that were not possible to see before its development.

Fractions of seconds of molar tooth rubbing contact allow the molars to touch for too long and compress their Tooth socket nerve ending for too longs which activate excess muscle contractions in the jaw muscles. The longer was the tooth rubbing during chewing or grinding, the longer time the socket nerve endings are compressed, and the longer time the Jaw Muscles are made to contract. The patient’s teeth are then a constant source of excess muscle firing which causes excess lactic acid buildup within the Jaw Muscles which lead to the Jaw Muscle Pain.

This published diagram shows the cycle of muscular over firing (hyper contraction) isolated by Dr. Robert Kerstein published in Journal of Craniomandibular Pain 1993;11(2):126 - 140.

Because the T scan can detect these prolonged tooth contacts, a TMJ Dentist can treat the prolonged tooth contact durations by shortening the time the teeth rub down to very small durations (<.4 seconds is ideal) in all chewing movements. This in turn shortens to the tooth socket compressions to the same minute durations that the teeth now rub (<.4 seconds).

This in turn, stops the jaw muscles from being over-fired. The muscle activity goes way down usually in the same appointment and the TMJ pain causing lactic acid buildup is quickly removed through normal muscle physiology.

Without the lactic acid formation no longer taking place, TMJ Pain and symptoms go away within 1 month’s time after Treatment Day 1!!!

Day 1

This muscle paiun treatment can be done without any mouthguard At all....

NO Mouthguards is a great improvement for patient care!

Here is a link to a Video of Dr. Kerstein treating a patient with the T Scan III Computer System

PLEASE VIEW THE T-III IN USE