• eat hard crunchy foods that require prolonged chewing such as nuts, popcorn,
  hard crust bread, tough meat, raw vegetables, or gum
• bite off food with your front teeth
• open your mouth wider than your thumb. Be careful when yawning, laughing,
  coughing, sneezing or singing.
• bite your nails, chew on pencils or other objects
• bite your lower lip.
• protrude your jaw forward for activities such as applying lipstick, smoking
  or talking.
• rest your jaw on your hand.
• clench or grind your teeth.
• move your jaw in ways than increase pain, clicking, or locking.

• eat a soft diet.
• cut food into small pieces.
• lips together and teeth apart
• breath through your nose.
• swallow with the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth.
• maintain good posture at all times. Keep your head in the midline over your shoulders.
• sleep on your back.
• take self assessment breaks. Ask yourself how your pain is doing, what is your posture,
  and what are your thoughts. Take corrective action.
• avoid stressful situations if possible.
• take aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil) if needed.
• home physical therapy to painful muscles. (hot, cold, stretch)
• exercise, take breaks at work and hobbies that relax you every day. You need extra
  rest to heal.
• organize your life.
  • Use lists and set priorities. Be organized
  • Write down goals for the present and future.
  • .Make time a priority. Use it efficiently.
  • Appreciate the gifts about you.
  • Be good to others. Share your life.
• set your goal to overcome your present pain. Imagine that your pain is a temporary setback and with proper help from health professionals and yourself, these problems will pass.
• keep a positive self image.

Splints are appliances that are permanently or temporarily attached to the body. They are used to posture the body in a position to support and protect a structure that needs to heal. In the case of your temporomandibular joint (TMJ-jaw joint) the splint can be plastic or metal and fit over the bottom or top teeth. The TMJ splint postures the jaw during swallowing and chewing in a position that is less traumatic to the teeth, TMJ and muscles. It also acts as a preventive appliance to reduce grinding and clenching of teeth.

Often people have a bad fit between their top and bottom teeth or clench and grind their teeth excessively. This condition can result in sore jaw muscles, headaches and a sore TMJ. Swelling in the TMJ and spasm of the jaw muscles can further alter the bite of your teeth by moving the lower jaw. As the pain and swelling improve, the jaw shifts position and the bite changes. To accommodate these changes we make appointments for the patient to have the splint adjusted to the new jaw position. When the pain goes away and the jaw posture is stable between appointments the need for adjustments to the splint decreases and eventually stops. This process can take from one to three or more months. Once this final posture is reached we may decide to do something to the teeth which would allow them to meet in the same jaw position established on the splint. These options will be discussed with you at that time. Some people must continue to wear a splint for extended periods of time to protects themselves from destructive clenching or grinding habits.

• Wear the splint full time unless your are given other instructions.
• Brush the inside and outside of the splint with toothbrush or toothpaste twice daily and after eating.
• Place the splint in its case when not in use.
• Keep your lips together and teeth apart.

• Clench or grind your teeth on the splint.
• Leave the splint where your pet can reach it. This can result in a happy pet and a sad owner.
• Place the splint near heat or eat very hot foods with it as this can distort the plastic.
• Worry if your splint is damaged or lost. Another will be made at a reduced cost.
• Be concerned if the splint feels tight or if speech is affected. Patients notice that after a period of time they become accustomed to it.

TMJ problems develop for many reasons. Whether problems arise from a large trauma (auto accident) or small trauma, (clenching or bruxing), the jaw joints and muscles can experience inflammation, pain and sometimes swelling. Muscles surrounding the TMJ respond by contracting in an attempt to protect these painful joints. Soon the muscles go into spasm. This muscle spasm produces even more pain and thus a viscous cycle of pain, muscle contraction and muscle spasm begins. Because the muscles become tight, the joints are unable to move freely and frequently the jaws become stiff which limits the ability to open one’s mouth. Physical Therapy helps to reverse some of these responses to joint trauma.

Heat and cold treatments help to reduce pain, inflammation, muscle spasm and increase circulation. These may include ice, hot packs, and ultrasound.

Joint and soft tissue mobilization is a hands on technique to loosen restrictions in muscles and the jaw joints, that can lead to stiffness and pain. These techniques improve movement and decrease pain.

Exercises have benefits beyond increasing strength. They help improve flexibility, strengthen muscles to improve head and neck posture, help your jaw stay aligned, and improve coordination.

Postural Training not only helps improve posture of your head, neck and shoulders, but the posture of your jaw, too.

A Licensed Physical Therapist will evaluate your specific needs, and apply these techniques to help you achieve optimal health.

A process of using sensitive non-invasive physiological monitoring instruments to "tune into" moment to moment changes that we usually are not consciously aware of. The biofeedback therapist assists people in learning self/body control.

Biofeedback has been found by research and practice to help a person gain a measure of self/body control of many stress-related medical illnesses. These include headache (migraine and tension), high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, and palpitations.

Persons who are willing to assume more responsibility for their health and who want to be active participants in their own health care. Biofeedback can be an effective adjunct to dental treatment and help a person develop non-chemical and non-surgical methods of improving their well-being.

A series of sessions with an experienced clinician is usually required to acquire the unique skill of self-regulation. A person usually spends 6 to 12 sessions, the first session lasting 90 minutes and subsequent visits lasting 50-60 minutes one time per week. When techniques have been mastered, instruments and the therapist are no longer needed.

Referral by your dentist is required. This enables the therapist to work closely with your doctor in regard to special considerations such as medications and dosages.

Many policies cover 50-80% of the cost. For further information, check with your insurance company.

Usually not. By following instructions of the biofeedback therapist, most people experience good results. Some people who have their own will-developed but disfunctional methods of self control sometimes take longer to shift to the better and easier self-regulation methods offered through biofeedback.

Identifying toxic stressors in our lives, as well as developing stress management strategies using new self-regulation skills, is an integral part of biofeedback therapy.