Many affected people who have problems like Rafael’s do not travel around the world, but have similar experiences in their circles. In CMD patients, the healthy irretrievable tooth substance is still being interfered and splints are being experimented with. However, these passive applications are hardly suitable for positively changing incorrect movements and malfunctions. Splints and support have also been used in orthopaedics for a long time. Today this is rarely accepted by the designated specialists. Adapted training has replaced the old methods. The patient is actively involved in his recovery and thus achieves his desired goal. In CMD therapy such findings are hardly considered. Even the unequivocal research results of recognized scientists, who explain that biting does not play a causal role in CMD, have little influence on the treatments. A press release on new guidelines for dentists could, however, attack traditional thinking and procedures in the future. It reveals that there is no treatment for bruxism (teeth grinding), the main feature of CMD. Bite correction is still very much in demand among the mostly self-appointed CMD specialists. Deviations in tooth fit and temporomandibular joint movements are even corrected with the private performance of electronic measuring systems. This may seem impressive, but the measurement results are of little use and turn out differently every time they are repeated – at least on living people.
Malfunctions, bad posture and bad habits are the main causes of CMD. They often develop in childhood and have shown up early: Middle ear infections, malpositioned teeth, nasal polyps; mouth breathing and other childhood diseases are typical signs of malfunction. They are treated by doctors mainly symptomatically.
The actual causes remain unconsidered or are not even known. If they are neglected, however, they remain for a lifetime and constantly cause other health problems. CMD is only one of the possible consequences of such long lasting functional disorders.
With FaceFormer exercise therapy, good and lasting results are achieved
But what should someone who suffers from one or more symptoms assigned to CMD do? The statement that there is no therapy is one-sidedly related to dentistry. However, effective methods have been developed by other disciplines. Treatment aids can only be effective if they aim to unlearn what is wrong and replace it with correct, biological functional procedures. We know from experience that performance can be improved and changed through practice or training alone. To learn new things, we have to repeat exercises over a longer period of time. This applies not only to learning knowledge, but also to movements, biological functions, postures or habits. Systematically learned knowledge is stored in the human brain and is available to us on demand – even unconsciously. Along the way, we perceive improvements in small learning steps. The training is only complete when the new, correct behaviour has become a habit. Victory over the wrong thing is now certain and relapses can be ruled out.
Good and lasting success is also achieved with FaceFormer exercise therapy for CMD. It is used regularly over a limited period of time. With a few minutes of daily training, the learning effort is low. Exercising correct respiratory functions, mouth closure, harmonious muscle tension of the masticatory muscles and tissue in the mouth/throat area, the natural position of the tongue, ear functions and head balance are important elements of the method.
The original text was published in the special publication “Bewusst Leben” as a supplement to the Ruhrnachrichten (09/2019).
FaceFormer® Therapy – Causally against many symptoms