HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Disorders of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) include pain, clicking and locking of the jaw joint(s). Other associated symptoms are headache, migraine, giddiness and tinnitus.  The subject has been gaining increased interest and attention from the professions, the media and the public over the last 20 years.

However, in the early years there were many views within the dental profession as to how TMJ problems were actually caused, and consequently there were many differing views on how they should be treated.  Some saw the primary cause as a simple dental issue of incorrect tooth contacts, easily corrected by tooth grinding known as "occlusal equilibration", or with plastic appliances worn between the teeth (splints).  Others were convinced the primary cause was in the muscles of the jaw system, and some saw it as a problem within the jaw joint itself, requiring open joint surgery to correct.  Even today, there are differing views on what constitutes normal jaw joint function, assessed mainly by the range of opening between the front teeth; some are happy to accept 35-40 mms as "normal", while most prefer to see about 50 mms.  One school of thought, centered in one of our teaching establishments, starts treatment with anti-depressants on the claimed basis that "50% of the patients never return".  Those who employed any of these focussed and narrow approaches had some success, but also had a large number of failed or "untreatable" cases.

It was out of this confusion that the idea of rationalising the various views and establishing the truth about "TMJ" was born.  In 1991 dentists Richard Dean and Noel Stimson created the CRANIO GROUP.

In those days, chiropractors and osteopaths seldom noticed or recognised the condition because they only worked with the spine from the sacrum to the occiput.  But the growing numbers that were working with the cranial bones quickly learnt that they can have a profound effect on the TMJ's.

Stimulated by CRANIO GROUP's existence, it  was only a matter of time before the two approaches  -  dental and cranial  -  came together to the enormous benefit of the patients.  A new team approach evolved; many dentists working with TMJ problems sought out for  themselves a local dentally-aware “body worker” to work with, and found that treatment times were shorter and results were much more successful and predictable. Chiropractors and osteopaths actively sought out dentists of the same mind. It made complete sense that one cannot treat abnormal jaw joint function if the framework (the bones containing the jaw sockets on the side of the head) was not aligned properly.

Interestingly, this same team has found similar advantages treating orthodontic problems, which are now largely viewed as a cranial disorder rather than a dental one; the dental misalignment is now thought to be driven by, and therefore a symptom of, distorted or mis-aligned facial and cranial bones. Moving the teeth around without aligning the cranio-facial complex no longer made any sense. This structural approach may also, in most cases, render the extraction of otherwise sound teeth unnecessary!

This bio-friendly approach works even better if it is supported by other biological processes, notably good diet and nutrition, the removal of heavy metals (e.g. mercury fillings) from the body, and the avoidance of other toxic substances (e.g. fluoride).

In essence we are a group of health care workers who treat their patients as complete individuals (not just a crooked smile or a bad back) with biological and structural thinking.