| Dr. Burns has treated TMD clients since 1977, and lectures to interested dentists. The purpose of head, facial, neck and jaw pain therapy is summarized below.
"I, as a dentist, need to decide if patient’s occlusion is affecting their over all health. Through a diagnostic phase of therapy, I can then determine if treatment is necessary. Once treatment is undertaken, a more thorough understanding of the patient’s problems is discussed. At the completion of treatment, I have established the proper maxillo-mandibular relationship, then I stabilize this relationship in different manners. Diagnosing the problem and educating the patient are of the utmost important task.
I evaluated the meaning of occlusion not only from angle’s classification, but from years of research from the Academy of Physiologic Dentistry. It is based upon three factors that include the patient’s Posture, Physiology, and Dynamic Functions. I do subjective, objective and radiologic data to start my diagnosis. I take pictures for posture and physiologic responses. I determine by asking patients about the dynamic functions of their lower jaw by noting any problems i.e: respiration, nutrition, emotional expression, equilibrium, deglutition and speech. At this point, after all the medical tests have ruled out perpetuation factors i.e.: mechanical stresses, nutritional inadequacies, psychological factors, chronic infections, allergies, impaired sleep, radiculopathy and chronic visceral diseases. I place a template to diagnose the concerns that are dental in nature.
I then record, as the patient returns for periodic post-op adjustments, the effects of template therapy. The clinical effects of template insertion include:
- Correction of improper posture: scoliosis
- Analgesia: headache, stiff shoulders, neuralgia, abdominal pain, and menstrual pain
- Autonomic nerve harmony: hypertension, low blood pressure, asthma, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and constipation.
- Stabilization of the cervical vertebrae: whiplash syndrome, numbness of the upper extremities, torticollis and shoulder imbalance
- Improvement of cerebrovascular circulation
- Elevation of motor functions: all sports
- Relief of temporomandibular arthrosis: facial pain, facial palsy and chronic rhinitis
- Correction of personal occlusion: induction of the ideal occlusion.
The education process and diagnostic process are the most important phases of therapy. Support groups then meet monthly to further discuss and share common concerns. Once I have made a diagnosis from posture, physiology and dynamic functions and the patient improves, I prepare them for final stabilization. I then wait for 1-3 years to allow normalization of the maxillo-mandibular relationship prior to finishing. Stabilization of the patient can be accomplished in different manners depending on each individual’s case. I use overlay partial dentures, orthopedic appliances, orthodontics, full upper and lower dentures, and crown and bridge. Again, the patient must understand his/her problem and actively participate in his/her recovery."
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