The Impact of Chiropractic Treatment on Malocclusion and TMJ Pain Relief

Malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth, ranks as the second most common cause of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain complaints. This condition disrupts the stable contact between upper and lower teeth, leading to an imbalance in the TMJ and the jaw’s neuromuscular system. Such imbalance often causes discomfort and functional problems, including jaw clicking, muscle spasms, teeth grinding (bruxism), neck pain (cervicalgia), headaches (cephalgia), and difficulties in opening or closing the jaw. These symptoms can significantly affect a person’s well-being and daily activities.

Orthodontics is the traditional treatment for malocclusion, using tooth and bone movement to correct alignment. While orthodontic treatment can improve occlusion and overall health, it often takes a long time, can be costly, and may not fully resolve symptoms caused by TMJ dysfunction. To enhance treatment outcomes, other therapies like chiropractic care are sometimes used alongside orthodontics to support the TMJ and jaw muscles.

Understanding Malocclusion and TMJ Dysfunction

Malocclusion occurs when the teeth do not fit together properly, causing uneven pressure and strain on the TMJ. This joint connects the jawbone to the skull and plays a crucial role in chewing, speaking, and facial expressions. When the TMJ is unstable, the muscles around the jaw and neck compensate, which can lead to pain and limited jaw movement.

Common symptoms linked to malocclusion and TMJ dysfunction include:

• Jaw clicking or popping sounds

• Muscle spasms in the jaw and neck

• Bruxism or teeth grinding, especially at night

• Neck pain and headaches

• Difficulty opening or closing the mouth fully

• General facial pain and discomfort

  
  

These symptoms reduce quality of life and can interfere with normal activities such as eating and speaking.

How Orthodontic Treatment Addresses Malocclusion

Orthodontics aims to realign teeth and jaws to achieve a stable bite, known as centric occlusion. This process involves braces, aligners, or other dental appliances to gradually move teeth into the correct position. Correcting malocclusion can relieve pressure on the TMJ and reduce related symptoms.

Despite its benefits, orthodontic treatment has limitations:

• Treatment duration can last several months to years

• It may cause discomfort during tooth movement

• Some TMJ symptoms persist even after teeth are aligned

• The cost can be high, limiting access for some patients

  
  

Because of these challenges, many orthodontists recommend complementary therapies to improve TMJ function and patient comfort during treatment.

The Role of Chiropractic Care in TMJ and Malocclusion Treatment

Chiropractic treatment focuses on the musculoskeletal system, including joints, muscles, and nerves. For patients with malocclusion and TMJ pain, chiropractic care aims to restore proper joint alignment and muscle balance in the jaw and neck.

A study presented at the WFC’s 10th Biennial Congress in 2009 explored the effects of chiropractic treatment on individuals with malocclusion as an aid to orthodontic care. Patients diagnosed with malocclusion and TMJ pain received chiropractic adjustments over one month, with four visits in total. Orthodontists evaluated each patient’s occlusion and related symptoms before and after the chiropractic intervention.

Chiropractic Techniques Used

The chiropractic methods targeted the TMJ and surrounding muscles to:

• Reduce joint misalignment

• Relieve muscle tension and spasms

• Improve jaw movement and function

• Support neuromuscular balance

  
  

These adjustments aimed to decrease pain and discomfort, making orthodontic treatment more effective and tolerable.

Results and Benefits Observed

After one month of chiropractic care, patients showed improvements in several areas:

• Reduced TMJ pain and muscle spasms

• Decreased jaw clicking and bruxism symptoms

• Improved range of motion in jaw opening and closing

• Better overall comfort during orthodontic treatment

  
  

These results suggest that chiropractic treatment can help address the functional problems caused by malocclusion, supporting the orthodontic process and enhancing patient well-being.

Practical Implications for Patients and Orthodontists

For patients experiencing TMJ pain alongside malocclusion, adding chiropractic care to their treatment plan may offer several advantages:

• Faster relief from pain and muscle tension

• Improved jaw function that supports orthodontic adjustments

• Enhanced comfort during long orthodontic treatments

• Potential reduction in the duration or intensity of orthodontic therapy

  
  

Orthodontists can consider referring patients to chiropractors as part of a multidisciplinary approach to malocclusion. This collaboration can lead to more comprehensive care and better outcomes.

What Patients Should Know Before Starting Chiropractic Care

If you have malocclusion and TMJ pain, here are some points to keep in mind about chiropractic treatment:

• Chiropractic care is non-invasive and focuses on joint and muscle health

• Treatment usually involves a series of adjustments over weeks or months

• It is important to work with a chiropractor experienced in TMJ and jaw issues

• Chiropractic care complements but does not replace orthodontic treatment

• Always discuss your full medical and dental history with both your orthodontist and chiropractor

  
  

Final Thoughts on Combining Chiropractic and Orthodontic Treatments

Malocclusion often leads to TMJ dysfunction, causing pain and limiting jaw movement. While orthodontics remains the primary treatment for correcting teeth alignment, chiropractic care offers valuable support by addressing joint and muscle imbalances. Research shows that chiropractic treatment can reduce TMJ pain and improve jaw function, making orthodontic therapy more effective and comfortable.

If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment and struggle with TMJ symptoms, consider consulting a chiropractor to explore this complementary approach. Working together, orthodontists and chiropractors can help you achieve better oral health and improved quality of life.

dal Bello F, Borilli F.  A Research on the Effects of the Chiropractic Treatment on Individuals with Malocclusion as an aid to the Orthodontic Treatment.  WFC’S 10th Biennial Congress. International Conference of Chiropractic Research.  Montreal, Canada. Apr 30 – May 2, 2009: 257-8.

Introduction: Malocclusion is the second cause related to TMJ pain complaints1 due to the non-stable contact among superior and inferior teeth leading to functional imbalance between the TMJ and the neuromuscular system of the jaw [1]. Not proper fit of the TMJ will provoke the individual’s adaptation leading to clinical discomfort and functional deficiencies in the system introducing to symptoms such as clicking, muscles spasms, bruxism, cervicalgia, cephalgia, deficiencies on the opening and closing movements of the jaw and pain which take from the individual its wellbeing and enable the normal development of daily activities [2,3]. Orthodontics is the conventional approach to treat this condition making use of induced movement of teeth and bones to correct malocclusion [4]. Although the benefits of correcting centric occlusion may enhance the individual’s well-being, the treatment can be long, expensive, not pleasant and many times not totally efficient mainly because of the dysfunctions developed due to the malocclusion. In order to reach satisfactory results the use of other therapies and methods to recuperate the TMJ and muscles are involved to assist the orthodontic treatment [5].

Methods: The patients of this study were headed to chiropractic treatment by their orthodontist before further orthodontic treatment. All patients had malocclusion diagnosis and TMJ pain. The patients were treated with chiropractic techniques for a period of a month, having 4 visits total. Each individual was evaluated by the orthodontist, focusing on occlusion and its effects in other structures, before and after chiropractic treatment. To be able to evaluate the orthodontic professional’s opinion about the effects of the chiropractic treatment it was used a satisfaction questionnaire after the orthodontist’s second and last evaluation.

Results: The research showed that in 50% of the cases the orthodontist was positive in relation to the occlusion condition. In 66.66% of the cases the orthodontist was positive relating to the chiropractic treatment to the patient with malocclusion. And in 83.33% of the cases the orthodontist was largely positive about the chiropractic treatment as a tool to the orthodontic treatment. In the majority of the cases the orthodontic professional pointed up the benefits of the chiropractic treatment to reduce the different symptoms related to malocclusion, giving the orthodontist better conditions to develop a specific treatment to correct the biomechanical occlusion of each patient satisfactorily.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggests the chiropractic treatment as a great allied to the orthodontic professional, facilitating its procedures due to the symptoms reduction, also supplementing its work to reach the individual’s global health, reducing time and costs of the treatment. It also suggests an interdisciplinary work between chiropractors and orthodontists to promote a greater life quality to the individual with occlusion disorders.

References:

1. Tosa H., Imai T., Watannabe F., Sumori M., Tsuchida T., Matsuno I., Nakamura S. The clinical study on occurrence of TMJ dysfunction in orthodontic patients. Nippon Kyosei Shika Gakkai Zasshi. August, 1990; 49(4):341-51.

2. Howat J.M.P. Chiropractic: Anatomy and Physiology of Sacro Occiptal Technique. Cranial Communication Systems: Oxford Press. 1999.

3. Maciel R.N. Oclusão e ATM: procedimentos clínicos. 1ed. Editora Livraria Santos Comp. Imp. Ltda. São Paulo. 1998.

4. Brew M.C, Pretto S.M, Ritzel I.F. Odontologia na Adolescência – Uma abordagem para pais,educadores e profissionais da saúde. Editora Mercado Aberto Ltda. Porto Alegre. 2000.

5. Viazis A.D. Atlas de Ortodontia – Princípios e Aplicações Clínicas. 1st ed. Livraria Santos Editora Com. Imp. Ltda. São Paulo. 1996.