The K7 Neuromuscular Evaluation System
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
As part of our continuing commitment to bringing you the highest level of dental care, we are proud to introduce the K7 Evaluation System from Myotronics. The K7 is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art system for evaluating the movement of your jaw and determining whether, and to what extent, you have temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). Utilizing a suite of three very precise, sophisticated instruments, the K7 system can identify any irregularity in the movement of the jaw and determine the extent to which the muscles and bones of the jaw are under stress as a result.
Computerized Mandibular Scanner
The Computerized Mandibular Scanner (CMS) consists of a sensor array that you wear like glasses. A magnet is placed in your mouth with a gentle adhesive, and the CMS sensors track the movement of the magnet in three dimensions, giving a complete representation of the movement of your jaw in three dimensions. This allows Dr. George to determine the extent of misalignment of your jaw and determine whether the jaw is out of alignment throughout its entire range of motion, or only part.
Electromyograph
Once the jaw movement has been recorded, the K7 system allows Dr. George to tell whether your muscles are being strained as a result of the misalignment. It does this using the eight-channel electromyography (EMG), which uses surface electrodes to measure the electrical activity in the muscles. Since electrical activity correlates to the amount of work a muscle is doing, this allows Dr. George to tell when you muscles are under stress and whether the misalignment of your jaw even allows your muscles to find a position of maximum rest.The EMG can track eight muscles simultaneously and correlate them to your jaw position, allowing a precise evaluation of your muscle stress at all positions. Since an inability for the jaw to find a position of maximum rest leads to muscle tension, and muscle tension causes many of the symptoms of TMD, the EMG is a crucial tool in diagnosing and treating TMD.
Electrosonograph
The electrosonograph (ESG) is a pair of highly precise directional microphones for measuring the sound of your temporomandibular joint as it moves through its range of motion. This allows Dr. George to hear whether your jaw is scraping your skull at all, or whether it undergoes any readjustments during the course of its movement. It can also give clues to degeneration of the articular disk.
Although you can self-report many of the symptoms of TMD, and Dr. George can usually diagnose its presence, the K7 system allows a greater precision of diagnosis which ultimately leads to a better, more effective treatment regime that will give you faster and more complete relief from TMD.
To learn more about how TMD diagnosis and treatment can enhance your smile and your life, contact the office of Dr. Alexandra George in Wexford, Pennsylvania, today.
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