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Personal Injury
Dr. Larsen and his staff are happy to aid referring doctors and attorneys in workers compensation/personal injury cases and motor vehicle accidents by providing documentation and conservative treatment if necessary.
- We accept liens.
- We provide accurate and supporting documentation.
- We are happy to work with attorneys, surgeons, primary care physicians, pain management specialists, chiropractic physicians and all professionals specializing in personal injury and work comp cases.
How we can help...
Our goal is to help you to gain an appreciation of how head and neck trauma, including whiplash injuries, affect the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and overall stomatognathic function. Trauma to the TMJ and surrounding musculature is frequently under-emphasized in claims proceedings. Nevertheless, objective evidence shows that the majority of all whiplash accidents involve TMJ injury, either as a latent development or as a direct result of the accident.
These cases are often overlooked or misdiagnosed due to the lack of external trauma. However, a force applied to the body has some effect -the energy is not lost, but is transferred through the soft tissues of the head and neck region. This results in the internal derangements most often seen in motor vehicle accidents.
When temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is overlooked, the whiplash victim may never fully recover. They suffer needlessly with chronic, intractable pain that eventually manifests as permanent degenerative changes of the TMJs. When your personal injury clients experience any of the classic TMD symptoms below, they should have a thorough evaluation by a dentist possessing the special tools and training needed to properly diagnose and treat these conditions.
- Pain from the jaw joint area upon opening or on one side of the head
- Clicking or popping of the jaw joints
- Grating sounds of the jaw during opening
- Inability to fully open the mouth
- Irregular movement of the jaw
The major obstacle in treatment is to determine if the pain is muscular, joint related, or both. Successful therapy cannot be instituted without an accurate diagnosis. A comprehensive and lengthy examination of the hard and soft tissue structures of the head, neck, and back is essential. We must investigate all symptoms and determine how long they have been present to ascertain a fingerprint of pain.
How can these complaints be measured repeatedly and objectively? This is accomplished via diagnostic instrumentation from BioResearch: muscle activity using surface electromyographic readings (EMG), TMJ health using joint vibration analysis (JVA), and jaw movements using the magnetic jaw tracker or electrognathograph (EGN).
EMG
EMG is an instrument that measures the resting and functional activity levels of the muscles of stomatognathic function using surface electrodes. Surface EMG is the worldwide standard for recording muscle-specific activity in skeletal muscles.
Research shows that patients with TMJ disorders have statistically higher muscle activity at rest than normal control subjects. This higher activity may be due to occlusal interferences, reduced opening of the jaw, a midline discrepancy, or some other structural deficiency.
JVA
JVA is based on simple principles of motion and friction: when smooth surfaces rub together, there is little friction created, and little vibration. If these surfaces become rough, friction and vibration are created. Human joints have surfaces that rub together in function. Smooth, well-lubricated surfaces in a proper biomechanical relationship produce little friction and vibration. Surface changes (such as those caused by degeneration, tears, perforations, and mechanical displacements) generally produce friction and vibration. JVA measures the TMJ vibrations that occur during opening and closing. Research has shown that different joint disorders create identifiable patterns or "vibration signatures". Computer assisted vibration analysis helps to identify these patterns and distinguish among various TM disorders.
EGN
EGN is a method of recording vertical, antero-posterior and lateral jaw movements by tracking the motions of a magnet. It has been widely accepted that certain aspects of mandibular movement are indicative of very specific types of TMD. Limitations in opening, deviations, deflections, and restrictions in lateral and protrusive movements are indicated in all (14 at last count) accepted, published criteria recommended for use in diagnosing stomatognathic disease.
The combination of these electronic diagnostic tests with imaging and physical examination provide documentation of your clients' status. Let the preponderance of evidence work for their good and place them on the path to recovery. If you can measure something, it is a fact. If not, it is simply an opinion!
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Click here to download a document with cases involving TMJ disfunction |
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Absolute Aesthetic
4530 E. Shea Blvd. #125 Phoenix, AZ 85028
Phone: 602-992-4530
© 2011 Absolute Aesthetic | All Rights Reserved | Dr. Larsen is a licensed Arizona Dentist | [DS]
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