Do you suffer from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder (TMD)? Have you tried several treatment options, but are still struggling to get long-lasting pain relief?
Non-invasive jaw orthopedics could help!
Our dentists at Oral Health Solutions utilize advanced computer diagnostics to diagnose and correct jaw misalignments that cause TMJ pain and discomfort.
The result?
Permanent pain relief from your TMJ symptoms.
Sound good so far? Read on!
Resolving TMJ issues is usually a two-phase process:
Let's dive into the details.
In this initial phase, we'll determine an ideal bite position that will relieve your TMD symptoms, and create a custom-fit orthotic device to enable healing and immediate pain relief.
What does this process look like?
We start with an initial consultation to understand your TMD symptoms and decide if they may benefit from jaw orthopedics.
Next, we use advanced computer diagnostics to calculate a medically improved bite position.
To perform this analysis, we use a process known as "shooting the bite," where we hook you up to a K7 computer program and evaluate your muscle function using electromyography (EMG).
This helps us understand where the problem lies.
We'll first look at your muscle function in its natural bite position, and compare it to the new medically improved bite position.
In a healthy bite, the temporalis muscles (the "steering" muscles of the jaw) are relatively quiet. In a patient with TMJ issues, the temporalis muscles are usually firing more than they should, leading to headaches, head or neck pain, or clicking and popping in the joints.
In the images below, you'll see lines logging the activity of four different muscle groups, on both the left and right side of the jaw, for a total of eight lines:
In this first image, you'll notice that the natural bite position causes excess activity in the muscles, demonstrated by the severe earthquake-looking lines.
In the next image, you can see the medically improved bite position with much calmer lines and a normal amount of muscle activity.f
Once the ideal bite position is determined, we'll register it using green impression material. You can see an example of this impression in the image below.
Using these measurements, we create a custom-fit non-surgical jaw orthopedic device.
Much like an orthotic is worn in shoes to support your feet, our jaw orthopedic appliance is worn in the mouth to balance out your bite.
By wearing your new jaw orthotic, you'll have the opportunity to try out your improved bite position and experience immediate pain relief. You can take your orthotic appliance in and out as needed.
Trying out your new bite is also helpful to ensure we have correctly identified the appropriate changes that need to be made, so we can then confidently begin phase II.
Once you are happy with your new bite and improvement is confirmed with the jaw orthopedic appliance, you may choose to move to a long-term solution and reconstruct your bite.
From here, we can craft a custom treatment plan to physically shift your teeth and jaw structure into the new position. The specifics of what this entails varies depending on the extent of movement needed.
After phase II is complete, you'll no longer have to wear your orthotic to experience pain relief from your TMD symptoms.
You'll enjoy a permanently improved bite and long-term relief.
Find out if jaw orthopedics can diagnose and relieve your TMJ pain for good!
Click the button below to schedule a consultation with our Langley, BC dentists today.
Or contact us by one of these other methods:
We proudly serve Langley, Surrey, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, New Westminster, and Vancouver, BC.
Langley dentist, Dr. J. Cameron Garrett, was born and raised in Kamloops, BC on a small hobby farm. He grew up playing lots of sports and volunteering with a number of organizations. Due to his interest in the outdoors and adventure, he became a forest firefighter in the summer for 11 years. In the winter, he worked in welding and carpentry.
Alongside his many careers, Dr. Garrett pursued a degree at Thompson Rivers University, and it was here that he discovered dentistry. He looked into it deeper and realized it had all the components of a career he desired. He loved working with his hands and enjoyed the idea of helping people. Although Dr. Garrett considered being a medical doctor, it was the ability to combine his unique skillsets that attracted him to dentistry.
He then attended dental school at UBC, and after graduating, he worked as an associate dentist in Tsawwassen, Surrey, and Langley, BC. He then found a mentor in Dr. Cameron Garrett and has enjoyed working at our practice ever since. Together, they continue to help patients make positive changes and highlight the connection between oral health and overall health.
© 2025 Oral Health Solutions. All rights reserved.
