TMJ/Neuromuscular Dentistry

If you have chronic pain in areas like your jaw, neck, shoulders or suffer from migraine-like headaches, Dr. Yassamy and her experienced dental team can help.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your lower jaw bone, or mandible, to your skull. It allows your jaw to move up and down and side to side. Your TMJ contains the largest nerve cluster in your body and when your teeth are not aligned correctly, you may feel discomfort or pain throughout your body. This condition is called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).

TMD can interfere with jaw functions such as eating or speaking. When a misaligned bite weakens and stresses the TMJ, perhaps over a number of years, the resulting pain can affect your life in many different ways. If you are suffering from TMD symptoms or have other problems with your jaw, contact the office for a consultation. Dr. Yassamy is a post-graduate neuromuscular/TMJ dentist from the world renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.

Symptoms of TMD

TMD can manifest itself in ways that may show up as a variety of symptoms. Symptoms include:

• Pain in the jaw, face, neck, shoulders, and ears
• Clicking or popping in the jaw when you chew
• Limited movement in the jaw
• Lock jaw in the open or closed position
• Migraine-like headaches
• Ringing in the ears

Neuromuscular Dentistry

Neuromuscular dentistry is the science of treating disorders with the TMJ. Pain from TMD may go undiagnosed for a very long time and the symptoms may only be treated through other medical treatments that don’t get to the root of the problem. An experienced neuromuscular dentist is able to diagnose your symptoms and focus on finding the main causes of your pain and provide a treatment plan.

Dr. Yassamy treats TMD with state-of-the-art dental technology such as a TENS unit and the Myotronics K7. Each treatment is customized since no neuromuscular patient has the same kind of TMD symptoms. A TENS unit emits mild electrical pulses to the jaw muscles to get your muscles to relax. Once your jaw muscles are relaxed, measurements are then taken of your optimal bite so that you can get proper treatment for your TMD. The Myotonics K7 system tracks your jaw movement and provides a 3-D representation of the resting position of your jaw identifying your correct bite.

Full Mouth TMD Rehabilitation

In addition to these technologies, we treat TMD by rehabilitating the entire mouth. Full mouth rehabilitation includes using a dental orthotic device. This device serves different goals including:

• Repositioning the jaw joint to its proper location over time
• Protect the teeth from nighttime grinding
• Realigning the patient’s bite
• Allowing the face and jaw to relax

If you have any of these symptoms, don’t bear the pain needlessly. Your pain may be related to temporomandibular joint disorder which requires an examination by an experienced and qualified neuromuscular dentist.

If you are looking in the Pasadena, California area and believe you may be suffering from TMD, contact experienced neuromuscular dentist Dr. Fary Yassamy today for an initial consultation.

Smile Makeover

Most individuals either like their smile or they don’t. Perhaps reasons such as stained teeth, chipped teeth, crooked teeth, or even gaps between their teeth. Subconsciously, this can cause a person to feel unattractive or uncomfortable with their smile, that ultimately, they avoid smiling. If this sounds familiar, a combination of dental treatments may be the best way to correct multiple problems through a smile makeover.

In San Marino, California, experienced LVI-trained cosmetic dentist Dr. Fary Yassamy offers smile makeovers to patients who want to resolve all their dental issues. Good candidates for a smile makeover include patients who have:

• Gaps between teeth
• Missing teeth
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Stained or discolored teeth
• Gummy smiles

If you are hiding your smile because you have dental problems that are affecting your personal or professional life, don’t prolong your unhappiness. We focus on correcting both the functionality and aesthetic aspects of your teeth so you will never hide your smile again.

Smile Makeover Process

There are several different cosmetic dental procedures that can be used in a smile makeover. Procedures using porcelain veneers and porcelain crowns work to cover mild to moderate damage to your teeth. Dental implants may be required for more serious cases when teeth are missing. Tooth color bonded fillings and teeth whitening are also options in a smile makeover. We can discuss with you a procedure that will benefit you the most.

Dr. Yassamy is trained in neuromuscular dentistry, and will look for signs of temporomandibular joint disorder during your comprehensive exam. She will correct any dental problems that affect your bite and general oral health before moving on to the aesthetic side of the smile makeover procedure.

The smile makeover procedure involves looking at your bite, teeth, and gums, then recommending dental procedures that offer a natural and comfortable look for your individual smile. A smile makeover can dramatically change the shape, length, color, and width of your teeth.

The length of time it takes to give you the dental results you want depends on the kind of cosmetic dental procedures Dr. Yassamy recommends. It can take several weeks before your smile makeover is complete, but the results can be stunning!

If you are looking in the Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino, or West Covina, California area, and are interested in finding out more about smile makeovers, please contact the office of Fary Yassamy, DDS for your initial consultation.

The information on this page about TMJ treatment in Pasadena is offered by Pasadena TMJ dentist, Fary Yassamy. This information should not be considered formal dental advice about any general and TMJ procedures. If you would like formal advice, please contact our cosmetic dentistry office serving Pasadena today. We offer general and cosmetic dentistry procedures to patients across Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino, and West Covina, California.