“A seed, dropped into the ground, springs into activity, and in the act of living, produces a hundred more seeds."

- Wallace D. Wattles

AN OVERVIEW FROM DR. CHAN

"Expansion - A New Way of Thinking"

I am pleased and encouraged to see the advancing awareness of Neuromuscular Dentistry (NMD) through out the U.S. and Canada over these past seven exiting years of my life. Forward thinking dentist across North American have been tapping into another dimension of dentistry that has been in existence for the past 40 years. The last seven years has exploded with a greater awareness and expansion by dentist more than ever before regarding these teachings, concepts and how we clinically practice our dentistry within the dental profession. The internet sights have blossomed with numerous references to "Neuromuscular Dentistry" or "Neuromuscular Occlusion". Much gratitude and appreciation goes to so many open minded and forward thinking dentist who have come to learn these concepts and desire to offer the best for their patients. 

I remember back in March of 1999 when I first posted my original web site on Neuromuscular Dentistry, www.tmjcare.net, www.tmjcare.com and www.drclaytonchan.com, this was a first in bringing an awareness of notable content of neuromuscular dentistry information on the internet. Over the past years I have encouraging others to open up web sites on neuromuscular dentistry. Many friends, students, graduates, teaching institutes, and organizations have followed hot pursuit in spreading the word about "Neuromuscular Dentistry and Neuromuscular Occlusion".

For this we can all be grateful that the world wide internet and dental profession will never be the same and our patients will be better served!

Looking for Answers?

Many patients have been searching for answers to their bite problems for years and looking for answers how best to resolve the haunting and nagging pain that surrounds the head, face, neck and shoulders. Can it be the ills of an unhappy masticatory system where the paining muscles, jaw joints and teeth are not harmonizing together in a physiologic manner? If so these problems and occlusal disorders can be resoled in a timely manner.

•  Temporal headaches, •  Pain behind the head and neck, •  Facial pain, •  Ear congestion feels, •  Pressure behind the eyes, •  Shoulder pain, •  Clicking/popping joints, •  Teeth hitting on the front first, •  Sore teeth, •  Sensitive teeth, •  Cold temperature to name a few.

Consider A Measured Approach - Neuromuscular Dentistry

Although these problems are not new to dentistry, advances in computerized bio-instrumentation technology and dental laboratory technology have allowed the refined clinician to better understand these problems via scientific methodology. Answers to these dental dilemmas are being discovered by many. Objectively recording, measuring and data collection of the physiologic muscle responses has been the hallmark of a scientific approach. This is what has been know as "Neuromuscular Dentistry".

Various Levels of Neuromuscular Training, Skill and Knowledge

Dentist are now being trained in these advanced levels and techniques.

The public must recognize that there are various levels of Neuromuscular Dentist and training. Some use instrumentation and others do not. 

  • Some Neuromuscular clinicians have gained a certain level of neuromuscular knowledge and education, but have not yet begun to use instrumentation.
  • Many Neuromuscular clinicians use the Myomonitor TENS (J4/J5) only to relax muscles before recording a bite relationship.
  • Advanced trained Neuromuscular clinicians use not only the J4/J5 TENS relaxing modality, but additionally use the Moronic K7-Kineseograph (which records and measures jaw movement and positioning) and EMG's (Electromyography measures muscle activity). These technology and devices combined together are designed to assist the dentist to specifically locate a better jaw/bite position in 6 dimensional space for the head and neck to posture more optimally.
  • Years of experience, comprehensive training, and mastery of the above will further distinguish the skill levels and abilities of a qualified Neuromuscular Dentist.

The demand for these type of services has been high among those paining TMJ patients who are seeking more refined definitive care.  Over the past 40 years the Neuromuscular Principles have been tested, tried and objectively proven beyond a reasonable doubt both to clinicians abroad as well as those within the dental profession (ADA and FDA). These core principles and techniques are scientific, logical and they make sense.

The Hero's Of Our Profession

Patients throughout North America as well as the international community who have suffered TMJ/TMD pain for years, and have tried many traditional approaches are reporting their satisfaction. They have been most grateful to those clinicians who have paid a great price for courage, tenacity to stand up for what they believe is right and appropriate in treating their patients. They have withstood over time the scrutiny and criticism from their peers within the dental profession. They are the pioneers and heroes to our patients, in spite of the voice of the majority who relentlessly criticize and try to find fault with the approach with little understanding and knowledge about such approaches and technology.

The laymen/patient understands the problem oh so well, better than the so called experts. They have been the recipient of years of pain, agony, numerous medications and frustrating moments searching for answers among many dentist, specialist, medical doctors, and health care providers. They have tried the best our traditional teachings had to offer.  They also have tried various adjunctive modalities with hope and promise, yet finding at the end limited help. Are these folks the unsung hero's?

It is the patient who now is the expert at their problem.  We dentist need to start listening! Blending our clinical talents with sound scientific methodology to prove the effectiveness of our treatments, confirming scientifically what our patients have been telling us for years!

Overview of the Web site

"What I Do As a Dentist"

This web site is for those who are searching for answers to their problems. It is also a site designed to bring a further awareness of comprehensive dentistry, as well as share what I enjoy doing as a "treating clinical" dentist within my private practice.

Call it Neuromuscular Dentistry, gnathology, centric relation dentistry, myocentric dentistry, fringe dentistry, dentistry that is not scientific, dentistry that is scientific, dentistry that is not based on traditional teachings, dentistry that is physiologic, dentistry that is aesthetic or perhaps one may plainly admit it's just "DENTISTRY".

My experience and interactions with the numerous patients who come to our office and see value in what we do. Most come from abroad and tell us how much they appreciate our care. They tell us that it works and they are happy with this kind of advanced level of care!

 

 

ABOUT US

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS

  • General Dentistry
  • Cranio-mandibular Facial Pain
  • Aesthetic Orthopedic Rehabilitation
  • Master International College of Cranio-mandibular Orthopedics

Member of

  • International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics
  • Academy of General Dentistry
  • American Association for Functional Orthodontics
  • International Association for Orthodontics
  • American Dental Association
  • Nevada Dental Association

 

 

dotDentistry

@2006 CLAYTON CHAN, DDS

WEB DESIGN BY CREATIVE SMILES

702 . 271 . 2950

9061 WEST POST ROAD
LAS VEGAS · NV · 89148

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