"Why see a neuromuscular dentist?" is a great question that we can answer very simply for you: a neuromuscular dentist is specially trained to diagnose and treat the many painful symptoms associated with a misaligned jaw. When your jaw is out of alignment, temporomandibular joint disorder occurs.

TMD, sometimes called TMJ, is a painful yet very common disorder that affects millions of Americans. Many of our patients have been to several medical doctors hoping for relief from their symptoms. It is only after coming to Chicago's Colonial Dental Group do they find relief of their painful headaches and other symptoms including:

• Grinding of the teeth (bruxism)
• Clenching of the teeth
• Jaw pain
• Facial pain
• Shoulder/neck pain
• Tingling in hands and fingers
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

If you have suffered with any or all of these symptoms, a highly trained neuromuscular dentist such as Dr. David Dooley can help. Dr. Dooley is a fellow of the prestigious Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) and has helped hundreds of Chicago residents find relief from this painful condition. Neuromuscular dentistry differs from general dentistry in that neuromuscular dentists are concerned with the function of the jaw, not the aesthetics of the teeth or the general health of the teeth and gums.

If you would like to learn more about neuromuscular dentistry, please contact Chicago's own Colonial Dental Group today.

Jaw alignment is not something most people give much thought to, especially the way it can affect their overall health and well-being, but jaw alignment, particularly improper jaw alignment, can have significant negative effects in multiple areas of the body, causing pain and discomfort. Neuromuscular dentistry, a cutting-edge dental field, studies the relationship between the hard and soft tissues of the jaw, including the cause of jaw misalignment. Neuromuscular dentists can often realign the jaw and relieve the pain associated with it.

Evanston's Colonial Dental Group has experts in neuromuscular dentistry and easing the pain that comes along with improper jaw alignment. The jaw is attached to the skull by what is known as the temporomandibular joint, or the TMJ, and proper jaw and TMJ alignment are so important because the jaw bones and muscles are linked to the neck, back, shoulders and head, and is active in so many common day-to-day activities like breathing, eating, and speaking. If the TMJ does not function properly, what is known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD), the thousands of repetitions the TMJ goes through in a normal day can lead to a number of painful conditions like back, neck, and shoulder pain, damaged or chipped teeth, difficulty eating/chewing, dizziness, sensitive teeth, and soreness, stiffness, or popping in the jaw. But perhaps the most painful effect is the migraine-like headaches often associated with TMD. These can be debilitating.

Painful conditions resulting from jaw misalignment are a result of the number of times the TMJ is used on a daily basis, and also through the inter-dependability of one body part on another. The jaw and the TMJ are complex combinations of muscles and nerves that interact with other networks of muscles and nerves, and an improperly aligned jaw stresses all of those other networks.

Neuromuscular dentistry, a cutting-edge cosmetic dental technique is effective at realigning the jaw and TMJ, to relieve the symptoms of TMD, including the migraine-like headaches that can afflict TMD sufferers. If you suffer from any of the symptoms such as migraine-like headaches, please contact the neuromuscular dental experts at the Colonial Dental Group to schedule a consultation.

Bad dental work can result in the exact opposite of what the patient went to the dentist for in the first place. Instead of a beautiful smile that inspires confidence and self-esteem, poor dental work can cause pain, embarrassment, and anxiety. In order to avoid bad dental work, when choosing a dentist make sure the dentist you find is well-qualified, up-to-date with the latest in cosmetic dentistry technologies, techniques, procedures and literature, able to provide proof of the quality of their work (before and after photos are a good way), and able to provide you with an in-depth and comfortable consultation.

If you've already been a victim of bad dental work, an expert cosmetic dentist is skilled at treating clients who have had bad dental work done to them. The expert cosmetic dentists at the Colonial Dental Group have multiple tools and technologies at their disposal to fix bad dental work, including advanced oral mapping, dental bonding, dental implants, endodontics, laser dentistry, and porcelain veneers and crowns. These dental tools and techniques, in the hands of experts, can repair the bad dental work and give you the smile you had originally hoped for.

If you've been a victim of bad dentistry and live in or near the Evanston area, please do not lose hope. The cosmetic dentistry experts at the Colonial Dental Group can help reverse the bad dental work and give you the smile you deserve. Contact them today to schedule a consultation.

Tooth whitening has grown significantly in popularity and effectiveness over the past ten years, and so have the number of products available to combat tooth discoloration. As more and more products become available, safety becomes a larger concern. The American Dental Association's (ADA) stance on tooth whitening, including which products have the ADA Seal of Acceptance, is an important and helpful tool in determining which tooth whitening products to use.

There are technically two ways to whiten teeth, bleaching and whitening toothpastes. Bleaching of the teeth is a process in which carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth. The ADA currently gives their Seal of Acceptance to products that use only 10% carbamide peroxide.

Whitening toothpastes that have the ADA Seal of Acceptance do not contain bleach, but do contain other chemicals that remove surface stains from the teeth, rather than changing the color of the actual tooth, as in bleaching, and many toothpastes available bear the ADA Seal. While the majority of tooth whitening products and procedures are safe and even recommended by the ADA, consulting cosmetic dentistry experts like those at the Colonial Dental Group should always be done prior to beginning any tooth whitening to insure the safest and most effective treatment possible.

Whiter teeth can lead to increased self-esteem and confidence. If you want whiter teeth, please contact the tooth whitening experts at the Chicago area Colonial Dental Group to schedule a free consultation to learn more about safe and effective tooth whitening treatments.