Orthodontist Desislava Stanchev explains the jaw joint to an elderly gentleman

TMJ treatments & CMD in adults

At Brand Orthodontics we offer a comprehensive thinking, examination, and treatment. A strong, healthy bite and a healthy chewing system are just as important to us as the aesthetic tooth position. After many years of experience and further training, we are one of the CMD specialists in Mainz!

If you suffer from pain in the head area or the cervical spine, we will examine whether there is a “craniomandibular dysfunction” (CMD) and whether the actually harmonious system of the chewing organ or the jaw joints is disturbed as well as the cause of your complaints.

Woman with a painful jaw joint

Temporomandibular joint disorders can cause various symptoms (from pain in the head, neck, shoulders or back to dizziness and ear ringing). Most frequently, the symptoms do not initially lead to assume that a diseased jaw joint is the cause. Therefore, with the symptoms mentioned, we always recommend a visit to the orthodontist to confirm (and treat) TMD or rule it out as a cause of pain.

With its bony, muscular, and nervous structures, the masticatory system is a very sensitive and complex system connected to the entire body. Misaligned temporomandibular joints can put pressure on nearby nerves and cause pain all over the body. Likewise, a foot deformity can affect the support system and then ultimately the temporomandibular joints and jaws position. “The upper level” in our body is connected to the “lower level”. Both levels influence each other. Accordingly, the entire holding system seen in our practice in Mainz and treated interdisciplinary.

CMD diagnosis

The fact that the teeth, our jaws and the jaw joints are closely related to the rest of our body is not only part of our holistic orthodontic practice philosophy, but also the basic idea of orthodontic functional therapy. For CMD diagnostics purposes, we record the anatomy of your upper and lower jaw and use a model to determine jaw movements and deviations in case of a possibly restricted mouth opening. We also analyse the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joints on a manual basis in order to localize tension and to pay close attention to possible cracking or rubbing noises, which can give further indication of temporomandibular joint disorders. Our Mainz team also carefully applies the diagnostic look to the whole body or specifically to the three positions “position of the temporomandibular joints, posture of the cervical spine and the whole body posture”!

Treating craniomandibular dysfunction

At Brand Orthodontics, the craniomandibular dysfunction in adults is treated in several steps. The first step is to eliminate the pain. To do this, as orthodontists, will make a special custom-made splint for you. Further CMD treatment steps involve the orthodontic pre-therapy and the subsequent orthodontic therapy. At the same time, our working process involves our team of specialists from physiotherapy, osteopathy, and sports science. A CMD treatment is a type of treatment in which the entire chewing and posture system should be treated in order to eliminate the dysregulations in all interconnected areas and to harmonize them in the long run.

Cost planning

Our Brand Orthodontics Team in Mainz supports you starting with the diagnosis and help with temporomandibular joint disorders up to cost planning and financing. Statutory health insurance companies only cover a few of the costs of CMD treatment for adults, while the specific details of the contract are essential for costs assumption in the case of private supplementary insurance. We will be happy to provide you with full detail on all costs incurred and help you to clarify all relevant aspects. Rest assured, we will advise you confidentially and discreetly.