Do you suffer from chronic jaw pain? Are you unable to chew certain foods without discomfort? If so, you may benefit from functional jaw orthopedics. This treatment is designed to correct misalignments and incorrect jaw movements, which can cause pain and other problems.
What Is Functional Jaw Orthopedics?
Functional jaw orthopedics is a type of treatment that uses appliances, also called splints or retainers, to realign the jaws and teeth. This treatment can be used to correct an overbite, underbite, open bite, or crossbite. Functional jaw orthopedics can also improve Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorders.
Benefits of Functional Jaw Orthopedics
There are many benefits of functional jaw orthopedics for adults. This type of treatment can:
- Reduce or eliminate chronic jaw pain
- Improve your ability to chew food
- Help you speak more clearly
- Enhance your appearance by correcting misalignments
How Does It Work?
Functional jaw orthopedics appliances work by putting gentle pressure on the teeth and jaws, encouraging them to move into the correct position. Functional jaw orthopedics usually has two phases. The appliance is worn full-time in the first phase, except when eating and brushing your teeth. This phase usually lasts for about six months. In the second phase, the appliance is only worn at night.
Why Is Functional Jaw Orthopedics Important?
Functional jaw orthopedics can help prevent more severe problems, such as TMJ. TMJ is a condition where the bones in the jaw joint are misaligned, which can cause a lot of pain and discomfort, as well as clicking and popping sounds when you move your jaw. TMJ can lead to sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, which can be very dangerous. Functional jaw orthopedics can help prevent these problems from developing or at least help lessen their severity.
Growth Guidance Therapy
Our Jaw Orthopedics Growth Guidance Therapy for adults involves gently and safely stimulating the lifelong remodeling potential within the jaws and face. By correctly this therapy, the results are profound. These results include creating room for crowded teeth and developing the face in a forward horizontal direction, which improves the appearance of the cheekbones, eyes, nose, and lower jawline. It also opens the airway, potentially eliminating sleep breathing problems, and also dramatically improves the stability of the upper cervical complex C-1 and C-2, which are vital to total spinal alignment.
Schedule an Appointment
Learn more about how Growth Guidance Therapy can create a healthy balance for your face and mouth. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Buck for a consultation, or call us at (425) 948-1875.
