Dan Mannikko, DDS | Reno/Tahoe’s Neuromuscular, TMJ, and Cosmetic Dentist.
Aesthetic dentistry is any cosmetic dental procedure, or combination of procedures, used to improve your smile. It can be as simple as at-home tooth whitening or as complex as veneers, bridges, and “instant orthodontics.”
Each individual's needs are different, and Dr. Mannikko has the solutions and the skills to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.
A Neuromuscular Approach To Restorative Dentistry
Neuromuscular dentistry is a very powerful treatment modality that allows Dr. Mannikko to predictably treat people who may or may not know they have an unbalanced bite.
People with an unbalanced bite may suffer from chronic face/head pain, headaches, neck stiffness/pain, shoulder pain, TMJ/TMD, chipped and worn teeth, or simply have had a lot of dental work done over the years because of the effects of an unbalanced bite.
Many people live for years with these and other symptoms, because they’ve grown accustomed to them, and don’t know they could feel better with treatment. Often, it takes added stress, like an accident or a new crown to change the dynamics of the mouth enough to set off a cycle of pain.
We often think stress causes the grinding/clenching or the headache, which is only partially true. The imbalances are always there and the physical stress is what the body (muscles, joints, etc.) must always cope with daily to just get up and get moving for the day. Emotional stress adds to it and often causes us to become symptomatic, feel more, grind more, and so forth. Often, by removing the physical stresses of not only the bite imbalances but the other structures that are influenced by it, we can greatly decrease the stress.
Thanks to incredible advances in technology, we can now see what is happening under the skin to the muscles, joints, ligaments and teeth. This allows us to precisely align the upper and lower jaws and create a physiologic harmony with the upper neck (C1, C2) and thereby eliminate an internal tug-of-war that can cause so much dysfunction, destruction, and pain.
Whether you need a simple fix or a comprehensive neuromuscular review of your bite and posture before undergoing a restorative procedure, call Dr. Mannikko today to start your journey to a beautiful, natural-looking smile.