Dentists Use New Tool to Pinpoint Chronic Pain Source
For people with chronic mouth, jaw or neck pain, (which may be TMJ disorder) the latest evaluation tool is being used by Drs. Shwartzman and Ronkin at their Dream Smile Dental office just south of Boston, Mass.
Boston, MA, January 03, 2006 --(PR.com)-- The start of a New Year is a good time to start with a fresh outlook. But for tens of thousands of Americans who suffer from a variety of chronic pain symptoms and discomfort, that may be easier said than done.
According to Dr. Evetta Shwartzman of Dream Smile Dental in Canton, “When your car is out of alignment, it steers poorly and tires wear out faster. You take it to a garage to be adjusted. When your jaw is out of alignment, the problem may be ‘TMJ disorder’ (short for temporomandibular jaw disorder), and you should see your dentist.”
The National Institutes of Health says there are 10 million TMJ sufferers in the U.S. at any given time. Although it can affect men and women, most sufferers are women between 18 and 45
Dr. Shwartzman and colleague Dr. Konstantin Ronkin, now in their 10th year in their Canton practice, note some common TMJ disorder symptoms: headaches, chronic pain, neck pain, sinus or ear congestion, chewing difficulty, loose or sensitive teeth, clicking sounds, ringing, teeth clenching or grinding – even insomnia. “There are so many symptoms and so many sources of pain or discomfort, until now it has been difficult to pinpoint the source of pain and, therefore, how to treat it,” she says.
PINPOINTING PAIN
Using K7 Evaluation System, a new tool in pioneering neuromuscular dentistry, a specially-trained dentist can pinpoint the source of pain, and determine the right jaw position to realign teeth, muscles and joints so they work in harmony – pain free! Treatment plans may include any combination of mouth inserts, fixing broken teeth, replacing missing ones, or using crowns, bridges or braces to balance biting surfaces.
The K7 diagnostic equipment is a lightweight device with sensors running from the patient’s head to the computer. Sensors track the motion of a tiny magnet to measure jaw movement at various stages of rest and activity.
Dr. Ronkin notes, “Diagnosing TMJ disorders can be a challenge because pain can be caused by sinus or ear infections, abscessed teeth, nerve pain, arthritis, stress, injury, teeth grinding – even through an accident. This technology enables the dentist to make a faster, more precise diagnosis – in a less invasive way.”
Other high-tech TMJ treatments used by Drs. Shwartzman and Ronkin may include low-level electrical current therapy known as TENS; and high frequency radio waves. On occasion, they may recommend customized plastic mouthpieces. They may also suggest a cosmetic / corrective dental plan that includes: replacing missing teeth, or using crowns, bridges or braces to balance the biting surfaces or to correct a bite problem. The dentists say surgery should only be considered after all other treatment options have been tried and the patient is still experiencing severe, persistent pain.
Drs. Shwartzman and Ronkin, graduates of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, are members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and are certified by the prestigious LVI Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry. They gained reputations for their use of high-tech cosmetic dentistry beginning ten years ago when they were among the first in the northeast to introduce laser tooth whitening. Recently, they founded the Boston Institute of Aesthetic Dentistry in Moscow in an effort to bring the highest level of American-style high-tech cosmetic dentistry to Russians.
“The New Year is the time for resolutions,” says Ronkin. “Anyone suffering from chronic pain should resolve now to start the year off right by trying to pinpoint the cause -- and getting proper treatment.”
(For more information, contact Dream Smile Dental: 781-828-4568 or visit www.dreamsmiledental.com).
-- By Stanley Hurwitz
stanhurw@comcast.net
D-S_Neuromuscular_1205.doc smh rev. 12/05
Contact: Konstantin Ronkin, DMD
or Evetta Shwartzman, DMD (781) 828-4568
or Stanley Hurwitz: (508) 269-0570
###
According to Dr. Evetta Shwartzman of Dream Smile Dental in Canton, “When your car is out of alignment, it steers poorly and tires wear out faster. You take it to a garage to be adjusted. When your jaw is out of alignment, the problem may be ‘TMJ disorder’ (short for temporomandibular jaw disorder), and you should see your dentist.”
The National Institutes of Health says there are 10 million TMJ sufferers in the U.S. at any given time. Although it can affect men and women, most sufferers are women between 18 and 45
Dr. Shwartzman and colleague Dr. Konstantin Ronkin, now in their 10th year in their Canton practice, note some common TMJ disorder symptoms: headaches, chronic pain, neck pain, sinus or ear congestion, chewing difficulty, loose or sensitive teeth, clicking sounds, ringing, teeth clenching or grinding – even insomnia. “There are so many symptoms and so many sources of pain or discomfort, until now it has been difficult to pinpoint the source of pain and, therefore, how to treat it,” she says.
PINPOINTING PAIN
Using K7 Evaluation System, a new tool in pioneering neuromuscular dentistry, a specially-trained dentist can pinpoint the source of pain, and determine the right jaw position to realign teeth, muscles and joints so they work in harmony – pain free! Treatment plans may include any combination of mouth inserts, fixing broken teeth, replacing missing ones, or using crowns, bridges or braces to balance biting surfaces.
The K7 diagnostic equipment is a lightweight device with sensors running from the patient’s head to the computer. Sensors track the motion of a tiny magnet to measure jaw movement at various stages of rest and activity.
Dr. Ronkin notes, “Diagnosing TMJ disorders can be a challenge because pain can be caused by sinus or ear infections, abscessed teeth, nerve pain, arthritis, stress, injury, teeth grinding – even through an accident. This technology enables the dentist to make a faster, more precise diagnosis – in a less invasive way.”
Other high-tech TMJ treatments used by Drs. Shwartzman and Ronkin may include low-level electrical current therapy known as TENS; and high frequency radio waves. On occasion, they may recommend customized plastic mouthpieces. They may also suggest a cosmetic / corrective dental plan that includes: replacing missing teeth, or using crowns, bridges or braces to balance the biting surfaces or to correct a bite problem. The dentists say surgery should only be considered after all other treatment options have been tried and the patient is still experiencing severe, persistent pain.
Drs. Shwartzman and Ronkin, graduates of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, are members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and are certified by the prestigious LVI Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry. They gained reputations for their use of high-tech cosmetic dentistry beginning ten years ago when they were among the first in the northeast to introduce laser tooth whitening. Recently, they founded the Boston Institute of Aesthetic Dentistry in Moscow in an effort to bring the highest level of American-style high-tech cosmetic dentistry to Russians.
“The New Year is the time for resolutions,” says Ronkin. “Anyone suffering from chronic pain should resolve now to start the year off right by trying to pinpoint the cause -- and getting proper treatment.”
(For more information, contact Dream Smile Dental: 781-828-4568 or visit www.dreamsmiledental.com).
-- By Stanley Hurwitz
stanhurw@comcast.net
D-S_Neuromuscular_1205.doc smh rev. 12/05
Contact: Konstantin Ronkin, DMD
or Evetta Shwartzman, DMD (781) 828-4568
or Stanley Hurwitz: (508) 269-0570
###
Contact
Dream Smile Dental
Stan Hurwitz
781-828-4568
www.dreamsmiledental.com
Diana Shwartzman
Dr. Evetta Shwartzman
Dr. Konstantin Ronkin
Stan Hurwitz
781-828-4568
www.dreamsmiledental.com
Diana Shwartzman
Dr. Evetta Shwartzman
Dr. Konstantin Ronkin
Contact