Dental Work, Orthodontics and TMD

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)

Osteopathy can help to address symptoms of TMD by assessing and treating movement restrictions of the jaw and the function of the surrounding muscles. Since osteopathy considers the body as a whole, it also takes into account the influence on the jaw from the entire body, especially the head, neck and pelvis. If the body is in balance, the jaw can function without disturbing tension from other areas.

​

​

Dental Work

The relationship between dental work and osteopathy is twofold. The osteopath can assess if the bite affects the alignment of the body and refers to a dentist if needed. Osteopathy is also helpful before or after dental procedures to relax the neck, jaw and cranial area to prevent side effects like headaches, jaw pain and neck stiffness.

​

​

Tongue Tie Surgery/ Frenuloplasty

Tongue tie surgery has long been known to be beneficial in infants to improve feeding difficulties. Nowadays, it becomes more sought after for older children and adults as well. With increasing knowledge about the fascia system in our bodies, science is looking at the relationships of a tongue tie to problems throughout the body. Those problems are often found along the deep anterior fascia, which starts at the toes and ends at the tongue.  By releasing a tongue tie, theoretically, all those systems can be influenced and tension can be decreased. Osteopathy is a valuable practice to accompany a tongue tie surgery. It enables the body to better adjust to the changes after the release and supports proper alignment. It also helps loosening tight muscles which might diminish the results of the tongue tie release.

​

Here is a link, to an article about osteopathy before and after tongue tie surgery.

​

​

Orthodontics/Functional Orthodontics

Proper alignment of the teeth and the bite depends on a correct relationship of the upper (maxilla) and the lower jaw (mandible). However, those two bones are part of the whole craniofacial system. It is just as important, to look at the relationship of the jaw to the rest of the facial and skull bones. Cranial osteopathy assists orthodontic correction by helping all the bones, muscles, and membranes of the skull to adjust to the orthodontic changes. It also balances the nervous system, which sometimes can become irritated by dental treatments because of the mere closeness of the mouth and jaw to the brain. Osteopathy can be a very valuable tool in preventing side effects from orthodontic treatments and decreasing the duration of the treatment.

​

Click here for more detailed information on the topic.

​