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Water Tower Dental Care proudly offers Cone Beam CT, or CBCT imaging, which allows us to take high-res 3-D scans of your mouth and teeth. These 3-D images help us better diagnose problem areas and give us a better view than a normal X-ray would.

But not many people know about all the benefits these compact machines can have.

What is CBCT imaging?

CBCT is a type of X-ray equipment we use when regular x-rays are not sufficient. It can create 3-D images of your teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways and bone, using a single scan.

During the imaging process, a cone-shaped X-ray beam rotates around the patient’s head, producing up to 200 2-D images. Using specialized computer software, these images are then converted into a 3-D image, which can help us fully diagnose, and then treat, the problem.

CBCT imaging can be extremely useful in complex cases such as:

• Surgical planning for impacted teeth
• Diagnosing TMJ or other oral disorders
• Dental implant placement
• Reconstructive surgery planning
• Evaluation of the jaw, sinus cavities, nerves, and nasal cavity

Benefits of CBCT imaging

There are several benefits to using CBCT imaging, making it the preferred imaging method for not only Water Tower Dental Care, but for many dentists and orthodontists:

It gives us a better idea of what’s going on inside your mouth. By using CBCT imaging, we get accurate measurements and a variety of views and angles, which makes for a more complete evaluation.

It can image bone and soft tissue at the same time. Unlike a typical dental x-ray, CBCT images provide information on your teeth, bones, and soft tissue in a single scan.

It’s quick! The scan typically takes between 20 - 40 seconds for a full mouth X-ray, and less than 10 seconds for a scan of a specific area.

It’s generally less expensive than a CT scan. You read that right - CT scans typically cost more money than these more in-depth imaging scans.

A lower dose of radiation is used. There is less radiation used with a CBCT scan than with a regular CT scan.

The machine itself is small. Unlike those scary x-ray machines you may see in your typical doctor’s office, CBCT scanners are actually very compact.

Preparing For CBCT imaging

There is typically little to no preparation needed prior to your examination. You should wear loose, comfortable clothing, and be sure to take off anything that may interfere with the imaging, such as jewelry, eyeglasses, hearing aids, etc.

Let your dentist know if you are pregnant prior to having any sort of X-rays.

If you have any questions about CBCT imaging, or about your dental health, please contact us today to make an appointment.

Have you experienced a tight jaw, impressions on your tongue or a tooth that seemed loose, chipped, or fractured? What about sore facial muscles, increased sensitivity in your teeth, or a partner that complains about clicking noises you make with your mouth? If you said yes to all or most of these, you could be a teeth grinder. Read on to find out why teeth grinding is harmful, what causes it, and what you can do to stop grinding and clenching your teeth during the day.

Why You Should Be Concerned About Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding or clenching, known medically as bruxism, is common in both adults and children. It could result in further teeth sensitivity as grinding wears down your enamel. If bruxism persists, you could end up damaging your teeth and it may require treatments such as root canals, bridges, or even dentures and implants.

Bruxism could also affect your jaw—teeth grinding might cause TMJ or even disfigure your face. You could experience headaches and earaches that you may not immediately associate with bruxism.

Grinding and Clenching—Why Does It Happen During the Day?

While doctors are not entirely sure what causes teeth grinding, common causes include sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or abnormalities in your teeth alignment (malocclusion). Many cases of teeth grinding and clenching happen at night, and can only be detected if your loved one notices it enough to wake him up.

But teeth grinding also happens during the day (daytime bruxism) and it is likely caused by anxiety and emotional stress. If you have daytime bruxism, you don’t necessarily experience nocturnal bruxism as well. Fortunately, there are means to stop bruxism before it wreaks havoc on your teeth.

How to Break the Habit

Try the following tips to help you eliminate teeth grinding during the day:

• Reduce stress and tension by doing the following:
• Keep a journal or writing pad handy. When you start to feel stressed out, take a few minutes to jot down your thoughts and feelings. This lets you release emotionally, and you can process it later to identify your stressors.
• Seek counsel. A trained professional will use different techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy to deal with your stressors and help you cope with emotional situations.
• Increased physical activity is proven to lower stress. Remember to stay hydrated.
• Avoid certain food and beverages that may trigger stress, such as caffeinated drinks (coffee, soda, etc.) and alcohol
• Under more extreme cases, use muscle relaxants as prescribed by your doctor.

• Avoid chewing gum, the tip of your pen, your pencil eraser, or other objects. Chewing will only encourage teeth grinding during the day.
• Use a mouth guard. This is especially important if you grind your teeth at night and you’re not aware. But mouth guards can also be helpful during the day if you’re still training your jaw. Daytime mouth guards are not as noticeable as night guards, so it appears discreet and allows you to talk comfortably.
• Talk to people you regularly interact with. During the night, ask your bed mate to gently wake you up so you can relax and stop grinding your teeth. During the day, ask people to help remind you not to grind or clench. Self-awareness is important to stop daytime bruxism but employ the help of others if you can’t catch yourself doing it.
• If you notice that you’re clenching, keep lips together, keep teeth slightly apart, and place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This technique helps your jaw relax and eventually train you not to grind your teeth.

We hope these tips help you keep your daytime grinding in check! If you need any other tips or are interested in getting your teeth looked at, don’t hesitate to visit Chicago’s number one dentistry. Contact us today!

When you’re fast asleep, the last thing you’re thinking about is your teeth. (Unless you’re having a dental dream, of course.) So it’s important to make sure that your teeth are well protected before you hit the hay for a long night of sleep. We’ve put together a short checklist that you can use every night before you go to bed to keep your teeth protected all night long.

• Brush your teeth before bed

Not brushing before bed is one of the worst decisions you can make for your teeth. If you leave food and plaque inside your mouth, bacteria can eat away at your teeth all night long. This can quickly lead to cavities, tooth decay and gum disease. That’s why it’s important to brush away any plaque that has built up over the course of the day with toothpaste and a toothbrush.

• Don’t forget to floss

Brushing is just your first line of defense against plaque. Unfortunately, most brush bristles can’t effectively clear out food and plaque stuck between your teeth. That’s where floss comes in. Flossing can get rid of hard-to-reach plaque that might otherwise cause tooth decay between your teeth and irritate your gums during the night.

• Finish up your cleaning with a little mouthwash

Your nighttime cleaning routine shouldn’t end with flossing! While many people may only think of mouthwash as a way to freshen their breath, it can do a lot more than that. Swishing mouthwash correctly can destroy any lingering bacteria and wash away leftover loose plaque in your mouth. When you use mouthwash, make sure to swish it back and forth, reaching every area from the top of your gums to your lower front teeth. Gargle a few seconds before you spit, making sure not to swallow.

• Don’t eat after you clean your teeth

The last thing you want to do after cleaning your teeth is get them dirty again with food. Try to finish eating before you clean your teeth at night. If you eat after brushing and flossing, the acid from the bacteria in your food will attack your teeth and gums while you’re asleep. Food isn’t the only culprit here. Any drinks that provide a food source for bacteria (like sugar) can also lead to bacteria growth overnight. You want to make sure to get rid of these bacteria before you call it a night.

• Put on your mouthguard - or consider one if you grind your teeth

Grinding your teeth can wear them down, leading to serious problems such as broken teeth, migraines and TMJ disease. If you have a nightguard from your dentist, it’s important that you wear it every night so that you avoid damaging your teeth by grinding.
If you don’t currently have a nightguard, it’s important to know the symptoms of teeth grinding and clenching in case you need one. Since you’re not conscious while you sleep, it can be difficult to know if you grind your teeth during the night. The following are symptoms of grinding and clenching that can help you identify if you have a problem:

• Chipped or broken teeth
• Teeth that are worn down with flattened surfaces
• Pain in your jaw
• Damaged tissue in your mouth
• Headaches or pain in your face
• Earaches from your jaw
• Sensitive teeth
• Enamel loss
• Irregular tongue edges

If you live with your partner, you can also ask them if they have ever noticed that you grind your teeth during the night. A dentist should also be able to recognize if you grind or clench your teeth.
We hope this little guide helps you to protect your teeth while you’re sleeping. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us on our Facebook page! Here at Water Tower Dental Care, we’re devoting to providing you with the tools and information you need to keep your smile healthy and happy. And for more information about selecting a pillow, visit Sleep Healthier.

Open bites can be a real hassle. Not only can they make your smile look strange, but they can also lead to serious dental problems. Braces, bite blocks and headgear used to be your only option for treating dental open bites. But nowadays, we have a much more discreet and much less invasive way to fix open bites: Invisalign. Today, we’re going to discuss how Invisalign may be able to fix your open bite without braces or surgery.

What’s Wrong with Having an Open Bite?

If some of your teeth can’t make contact with the teeth directly below or above them, then you may have an open bite. Open bites can be caused by skeletal or dental issues. If you have a mild case of open bite, you might not need to make any changes to your mouth at all! But more serious open bites can cause long term issues.
Since open bites can create a gaping gap between your bottom and top teeth, it causes many people to be self-conscious of their smile. Open bites can also lead to dental issues down the line, including premature teeth wear, gum disease, speech problems, asymmetrical jaw development, and problems with chewing and biting. It can also lead to more severe issues, like TMJ, a painful jaw disorder.

Can Invisalign Correct an Open Bite?

Invisalign can help with certain cases of open bite. Since open bites are one of the most difficult dental issues to correct and they can vary drastically from person to person, you will need to visit a dentist to find out if Invisalign can help you. That being said, Invisalign has been used to effectively close open bites in many patients. You can see a few before and after pictures of patients who treated their open bite with Invisalign here.

How Exactly Does Invisalign Help?

The Invisalign treatment uses the latest technology to upgrade the open bite treatment. At Water Tower Dental Care, Dr. Aneszko and Dr. Stino first use a 3D scanner to outline the steps of your treatment from start to finish. They create a customized set of clear, acrylic and virtually invisible aligners based on your individual smile. You’ll wear these Invisalign aligners for 22 hours a day.
The Invisalign aligners will gently push your teeth into the correct position over time. If you have a more serious open bite case, you may need to use rubber bands in conjunction with your Invisalign aligners. We’ll check on your progress and replace your aligner with a new one to wear about every two weeks.

Benefits of Using Invisalign to Fix an Open Bite

You may be wondering why you should use Invisalign instead of traditional braces for correcting your open bite. Since Invisalign is a new treatment that uses advanced technology, there are a variety of benefits you will get from using Invisalign instead of braces.

• Invisalign clear aligners are virtually invisible.
• The aligners are comfortable and easy to wear.
• They are removable, allowing you to easily take them off and put them in whenever you want. This, and the fact that they are BPA-free, makes Invisalign aligners extremely easy to keep clean.
• You don’t have any food restrictions, since you can take the aligners out for a short period of time.
• Treatment time is on par with traditional, metal braces (about 12 months for most patients).

What better place to receive Invisalign treatment for your open bite than at Chicago’s number one dentistry? If you’re interested in learning more about whether Invisalign can help your specific open bite, don’t hesitate to contact us today!
 
 

Do you notice that your top teeth bite down on the inside of your bottom teeth? If so, you might have a crossbite. Though crossbites don’t necessary cause direct pain right off the bat, they can lead to serious issues in the future. The only way to treat crossbite back in the day was with braces or expanders. Thankfully, there are less invasive ways to get your crossbite corrected today. We’re going to discuss how Invisalign can help align your crossbite.

What’s Wrong with Having a Crossbite?

Since crossbites don’t cause any immediate pain, you might not even realize you have one. Crossbites occur when your jaw isn’t properly aligned. They can form in one of two ways. First, some of your top teeth may bite down on the inside of your bottom teeth, making your top teeth closer to your tongue than your bottom teeth. A crossbite can also involve your bottom teeth biting down on the inside of your top teeth, meaning your bottom teeth are closer to your cheek than your top teeth.
While this doesn’t necessarily look bad, it’s important to get a crossbite corrected. Why? Because it can lead to serious dental issues over time. Crossbites can result in the following problems:

• Worn down teeth at a faster pace than usual
• Gum disease that can lead to bone loss
• TMJ joint disorder
• Trouble with chewing
• Incorrect jaw development
• An odd-looking smile

Can Invisalign Fix a Crossbite?

Braces and expanders used to tell everyone that you had a dental problem. Thankfully, Invisalign was introduced to save the day. Invisalign can fix most crossbites pretty much invisibly, so that nobody has to know that your teeth are being worked on.
So how does it work? You will receive a customized set of aligners that are molded to fit your teeth exactly. Typically, these invisible aligners are worn with inconspicuous elastic ware to correct crossbites. These elastics are hidden in the back of your mouth so nobody will see them.
Over time, the Invisalign aligners and elastics will work to painlessly shift your jaw into the correct position. You’ll come in to see your dentist about every two months to check your progress. During this time, you just let the aligners and elastic work their magic! We’ll let you know if anything needs to be changed when you visit us.

Benefits of Invisalign

Invisalign has transformed the way crossbites are treated. Here are just a few reasons why Invisalign is a better option than traditional braces or expanders:

• They are virtually invisible thanks to the clear aligners
• They are also virtually painless, providing gentle pressure to move your teeth and jaw into their proper alignment
• You can take out your Invisalign aligners whenever you need to clean your teeth or eat food that typically doesn’t react well with dental devices

Interested in learning more about how Invisalign may be able to cure your crossbite problems? Contact Water Tower Dental Care today! We are Invisalign experts. Just look at our Before and After Invisalign Gallery.
 
 

Having an underbite is no fun. Not only does can it look strange, but it may also cause serious health issues. Back in the day, the only way to fix underbites was with surgery, braces or expanders. Thankfully, there are less invasive and revealing ways to deal with underbites nowadays. We’re here to tell you how Invisalign can help fix your underbite without braces and surgery.

What’s Wrong With Having an Underbite?

If you have an underbite, you may be wondering why you should spend the time and effort to correct it. An underbite, which is a condition that involves your bottom teeth overlapping your  top teeth, can cause your mouth to look strange or convey an expression that you don’t really mean. Since it affects your appearance, it can cause social issues.
But even if your underbite doesn’t change the way you look, underbites can cause severe dental issues. Underbites can make your teeth harder to clean and can affect chewing, causing your enamel to wear unevenly and promoting tooth decay. Severe cases of underbites can also cause TMJ, a painful jaw joint disorder.

Can Invisalign Fix an Underbite?

The answer comes down to what’s causing your underbite. In certain cases, Invisalign can completely fix your underbite without the help of any other treatment! Underbites are typically caused by two things: a bad jaw position or irregular teeth position. If your underbite is caused by your teeth, then Invisalign will be able to effectively fix your problem. Your bottom or top teeth can cause an underbite by being tilted too far forward or backward. Tooth crowding can also cause an underbite. You’ll want to speak to your dentist to find out exactly why you have an underbite.
[caption id="attachment_2163" align="aligncenter" width="386"] An example of an underbite that can be treated with Invisalign.[/caption]

How Exactly Does Invisalign Help?

The Invisalign treatment relies on technology, really proving how far we’ve come in the world of dentistry. At Water Tower Dental Care, Dr. Aneszko and Dr. Stino use a 3D scanner to plan your entire treatment, from the first day you put your clear braces on until the day you take them off for good. Then, we create custom aligners for you to wear 22 hours a day. These are clear braces, so they are virtually invisible. While you wear them, they will gently push your teeth into their correct position. We’ll check up on your teeth and give you a new aligner to wear about every two weeks.

Benefits of Using Invisalign to Correct Your Underbite

Invisalign has many advantages over traditional metal braces. Here are a handful of benefits of using Invisalign to correct your underbite.

• On average, treatment time is shorter than traditional metal braces (about 12 months).
• The clear braces are virtually invisible.
• Invisalign is comfortable and easy to wear.
• It’s also removable and BPA-free. You can pop the clear braces off your teeth and pop them back on whenever you want. This makes it extremely easy to clean your braces and your teeth.
• They cause no food restrictions! You can take out your aligner for short periods of time and chew all the gum you want.

At Water Tower Dental Care, we offer comprehensive Invisalign treatments for underbites along with a level of service that’s anything but ordinary. If you’re interested in learning more about Invisalign and if it can help with your underbite, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Chronic pain involving the mouth, gums, teeth, or jaw can be a horribly uncomfortable experience that any person would want relief from as soon as possible. Often, a dentist can help you with chronic pain relief. To do so, the dentist must determine what kind of pain you are in, and if possible, what is causing the pain.
There are many oral issues that are associated with chronic pain, including TMJ, burning mouth syndrome, and bruxism, or teeth grinding. First, you must understand how these issues occur before you can understand how they are treated.

Temporomandibular Joint

Otherwise known as TMJ, Temporomandibular Joint connects the lower jaw to the side of the head, a bone known as the temporal bone. This is a very complicated bone structure, as the joint is flexible, allowing you to move your jaw up and down as well as left to right.
One can experience several kinds of TMJ disorders than can cause serious pain. Myofascial pain involves discomfort in the muscle and jaw. Internal derangement is pain caused by the joint being displaced, dislocated, or injured. Arthritis can also occur, which leaves the area of the joint tender and worn.
It is difficult to diagnose and treat TMJ disorders because there are very little tests available to discover exactly what problem exists in the joint area. However, by talking to a dentist about your symptoms, they can help pinpoint if there is a problem with your TMJ. A dentist that knows your medical history will be especially helpful.
Treatments for TMJ disorders can range from conservative to extreme. For low pain, dentists recommend self-care practices such as eating soft foods, applying ice packs to the painful area, and learning techniques for relaxing and stretching the jaw.
Dentists may also recommend certain pain medications, including over the counter meds, that can help relieve some jaw discomfort.
For the most extreme cases, stabilization splints can be applied that will help re-align your jaw to serve your TMJ better. As well, there are surgical techniques that can invade the tissue around the jaw and help re-align your TMJ. However, surgical techniques are still somewhat controversial and should be avoided if possible.
 Learn how TMJ Therapy can help you here.

Burning Mouth Syndrome

Otherwise known as BMS, Burning Mouth Syndrome is a chronic pain condition where a person experiences burning sensations on the tongue, lips, roof of mouth, gums and cheeks. There is no one physical abnormality that causes the issue that makes BMS a complicated condition.
BMS can last for several months to years. Typically, the pain starts mildly in the morning and becomes worse throughout the day. The syndrome can also bring symptoms of dry lips, a sore mouth, and a metallic taste on the tongue.
Though there is not one specific cause of BMS, most dentists agree that the following symptoms are often associated with BMS:

• Nutritional deficiencies (especially iron, folate, and vitamin B)
• Dry mouth
• Oral candidiasis (this is a fungal infection of the mouth)
• Diabetes
• Menopause
• Anxiety and Depression

To treat BMS, pain relievers are often used to alleviate the symptoms. However,   antidepressants can also be used to help reduce pain. Tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and muoclsal protectors have all shown signs of improving BMS symptoms.
Again self-care practices can also help fight against BMS, including:

• Avoiding mouthwash with alcohol in it
• Chewing sugarless gum
• Avoiding alcohol
• Avoiding spicy and acidic foods

Generally referred to as teeth grinding, Bruxism is a condition where a person grinds their teeth, usually unconsciously. While most people, at some point, grind their teeth, it is when it becomes a chronic issue that it’s a bigger concern.
Teeth grinding often occurs during your sleep, so most people are unaware of the issue. They’ll often wake up with sore jaws and a splitting headache, completely unaware teeth grinding has caused it. Often, it is a loved one that hears the grinding, which is an awful sound, and informs them of the issue.
Not only can teeth grinding cause serious pain that can last throughout the day, it also badly damages your teeth, wearing away at the enamel that protects your teeth from cavities.
The best treatment for teeth grinding is by preventing the problem with a mouth guard. However, you can also practice self-care by avoiding caffeine and alcohol, training yourself to unclench your teeth during the day, and relaxing your jaw muscle at night by holding a warm washcloth to your jaw just below your earlobes.
If you believe you are experiencing any of the chronic pain problems above, or have another issue that is causing you discomfort, do not hesitate to contact Water Tower Dental. We’d be happy to help you lose the discomfort and move forward with a bright smile.
 

Dentistry has never been at a more exciting time when it comes to the rise of technology to help service the needs of the patient. One of the best technological developments is the iTero digital scanner. How does an iTero work, and how can it help you?
iTero enables doctors to take a 3D digital scan of a patient’s teeth and bite so adjustments can be made digitally for the use of several important dental procedures. Let’s first start with how it works.

With the use of a small, handheld scanner, a dentist scans your teeth and makes sure to capture every angle possible. In some cases, the doctor must scan the entire mouth, while in others, only a section of the teeth. Either case, the process is very similar with the handheld device scanning every angle of teeth.
Once completed, the images are sent to the computer and rendered to create the composite image, which combines all angles to create a 3D model of your teeth. Once the image has loaded, doctors can use this to create everything from an Invisalign mold to full tooth implants. Here’s what procedures iTero helps the most:

Invisalign:

With iTero, Invisalign has never been more accurate. With the 3D model of your teeth, doctors are able to manipulate your current teeth structure and bite to determine what will best help your teeth align. There’s no guessing when you can employ iTero to structure your teeth the way you would hope they looked. iTero will help create the several molds that would guide the patient through the teeth alignment process. Then, once approved, the digital files can be sent to a lab for mold creation. The process is faster for the doctor, the lab, but most importantly, the patient.

Restoration:

If a tooth is in bad shape and needs to be replaced or crowned, iTero is a great help. First, the doctor takes a scan of the tooth in question and the area around it. Once loaded, the doctor can review the scan and determine what would work as a solution. For a new tooth or crowns, the scan is sent to a lab where a model can be fabricated using the digital technology. Once created, the tooth is sent back to the office where the dentist is able to restore your tooth.
Even more interesting, doctors now have the capability of creating the restored tooth mold the same day with a chair side E4D Mill. First, a scan is made, then the doctor can design the new tooth mold on their computer and print the tooth in a very short amount of time. For implants, the process does take a little longer to complete and is needed to be sent to the lab. However for smaller needs, the E4D Mill is a great help.

Orthodontic and TMJ

Because the iTero is able to take a full scan of the teeth, it can be used to assist with orthodontic of TMJ issues. The full scan can be taken and reviewed by technicians to determine the alignment of your bite and if any steps need to be taken to help restore the functionality of your teeth and jaw.
Technology has come a long way since the start of dentistry. We’re excited for future advancements, and even more excited for the advancements happening today. With the use of iTero, we are able to help our patients get the service they need in a timely manner with exact precision. Here at Water Tower Dental, we use iTero specifically for Invisalign, but by taking advantage of another piece of technology we can help with Restoration, Orthodontic and TMJ. So if you're looking for more information on how we use technology in the office, and what it can do for your teeth, don't hesitate to contact us today!

The Temporomandibular Joint, or (TMJ) is a hinge joint that connects your lower jaw to the bone of the skull located just in front of the ears. This joint allows the jaw to move freely so you can talk, chew, yawn, etc. The muscles that attach to the joint help control the position of the jaw and its movements. Often, many confuse TMJ with the term TMD, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. Whether you refer to it one way or the other, TMD is a painful and often frustrating condition that, if not treated, can cause serious issues.

What Is TMD?
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder encompasses a group of problems that can happen with the Temporomandibular Joint. While a serious condition, most research on the disorder has not determined a single cause. Sometimes it can be a small problem that’s more of an annoyance than anything else, while other times it can greatly affect your livelihood.
The least severe cases of TMD can be caused by slight displacement of the joint, which causes pain when biting down hard on food. The pain shoots through the side of the mouth to the joint. While certainly not a serious condition, it’s no walk in the park. The pain can cause great discomfort along with being a tough distraction.
In the most severe cases, TMD can drastically change your life and become a very debilitating problem. The disc within the jaw joint can slip out of its position, most likely during sleep. When the person awakes, they discover that their jaw will not open more than a few millimeters. The person can’t open their mouth to eat, talk, or even brush their teeth.
Whether your case of TMD is severe or moderate, there are a few signs that can signal an opportunity to fix the problem before its too late. Those symptoms include:
 

• Pain in jaw muscles and joints
• Pain in face and neck
• Sore and stiffened jaw muscles
• Clicking or popping sounds when moving jaw
• Noticeable change in the upper and lower teeth’s positions.

Is There a Cure?
There are several ways to detect jaw displacement as well as to cure the issue before it becomes serious. At Water Tower Dental we first determine how serious the issue and where exactly the problem is located. Luckily, many of the symptoms above can also be caused by neuromuscular dysfunctions.
We start by using a low-level frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation, or TENS, unit. As it delivers small electrical impulses to the jaw muscles, it relaxes the to find the jaw’s ideal positioning.
A JVA or Joint Vibration Analysis is also used to measure sounds in the jaw joint. The information received helps us determine if the problem is part of the jaw muscle or if there is jaw joint damage and how much.
Once we determine what the main causes for the discomfort and pain, we can decide on a proper technique to fix. If improper jaw alignment is the case, and the Temporomandibular Joint is out of place, we can create a custom orthotic appliance to hold the patient’s jaw for proper alignment.  The brace is worn for three months or until the jaw’s bite stabilizes. Afterward, we are able to alleviate any other symptoms through further therapy, drug therapy, and- in worst cases- surgery. Some patients may need further help and even use an orthotic appliance for the rest of their life.
If you’ve experienced any of the symptoms above, it’s wise to contact your dentist for a proper examination before the issue becomes too serious. Call Water Tower Dental today for the number one rated dentist in Chicago. We’d be happy to help you get on your way to a better, brighter smile.