TMJ Scan & Joint Vibration Analysis | Oconomowoc, WI

Expert Smile Designs uses TMJ scan and joint vibration analysis in Oconomowoc, WI to assess jaw joint disorders, with Dr. Tom A. Stamas and Dr. Paul Stamas practising at 1020 Oconomowoc Parkway.

Temporomandibular joint disorder involves stress on the cartilage that connects the lower jaw to the skull. Its effects extend well beyond the joint itself — pain in the jaw, neck or head, and difficulty eating, speaking or moving the jaw comfortably. The causes vary considerably: injury, bruxism from grinding or clenching, postural problems, and misalignment in how the teeth come together all contribute, often in combination.

That variety is precisely why diagnosis matters before anything else. A treatment plan built for a grinding habit is the wrong plan for joint degeneration, and the symptoms alone do not reliably distinguish between them.

The difficulty is that jaw joints have traditionally been assessed by description and by feel — what the patient reports, and what the dentist can hear and detect with fingers over the joint. Both are subjective, and neither produces anything measurable.

Joint vibration analysis changes that. Sensors placed over the joints record the vibrations produced as the jaw opens and closes. A joint moving smoothly produces a characteristic pattern; one where structures are displaced, worn or rubbing produces a different one. The recording gives objective data on what is happening inside a joint that cannot be seen directly.

Combined with the TMJ scan, this allows the practice to assess how severe a disorder is and where pressure is concentrating in the jaw — and from that, to build a treatment plan around the actual findings.

The practice’s approach is non-surgical. While surgery is occasionally necessary for TMJ disorders, Expert Smile Designs focuses on non-surgical relief, using the diagnostic results to guide creation of a custom appliance made for the individual patient’s jaw. That is only possible with the measurements behind it — which is what TMJ scan and joint vibration analysis in Oconomowoc, WI provides.

The practice also uses Tekscan® digital bite analysis alongside it, measuring where and how forcefully the teeth meet. Given that bite misalignment is one of the contributing causes, assessing joint and bite together gives a fuller picture than either alone — a combination few general dental practices have available.

Other diagnostic technology at the practice includes digital X-rays, DIAGNOdent™ laser cavity detection and an intraoral camera.

Recognised as a Top Dentist by MKE Lifestyle magazine, Expert Smile Designs sees patients from across Waukesha County’s Lake Country, including Delafield, Hartland, Dousman and Watertown.

To arrange a TMJ scan and joint vibration analysis in Oconomowoc, WI, call 262-567-8386. Expert Smile Designs, 1020 Oconomowoc Parkway, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 53066.