Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction, Trigeminal Nerve Inflammation, and Biomechanical Dental Treatments for the Suppression of Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms

The authors present clinical work that links dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) to a variety of neurological disorders. We demonstrate that mechanical realignment between the maxilla and the mandible with oral orthotics can be used to rapidly suppress certain debilitating neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including the movement disorders characteristic of Tourette’s syndrome, cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, and Parkinson’s disease. Some of these disorders may be initiated by peripheral nerve injury of the mandibular nerve, particularly its auriculotemporal branch, located near the TMJ.