If you believe you have TMJ disorder, and you want non-surgical, non-invasive therapy to relieve nagging or painful symptoms, consider Dr. Christian Rippe’s treatment approach. Using the MAGO splint, he can accurately determine the proper alignment of jaw joints in their resting position. With this information, he can then calibrate an oral splint that will provide precise positioning for optimal results.

Don’t live with headaches, earaches, and jaw pain. If you suspect TMJ disorder or have been diagnosed and would like treatment that does not involve surgery, call 303-562-1073 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Rippe in our Centennial dental office today. We serve patients from the DTC area, Greenwood Village, and Englewood.

About TMJ Disorder

Before you can understand treatment, you need to know a bit about TMJ disorder. The condition occurs when the TMJs, the temporomandibular joints, are not well aligned. These joints connect the mandible (lower jaw) to the temporal bone (skull, just below the ears). When the joints are under stress and can never find a resting position, associated nerves and muscles become inflamed and irritated. This is what causes TMJ symptoms, like headaches; migraines; earaches; pain in the jaw and face; popping jaw joints; and difficulty chewing.

TMJ Therapy

The focus of TMJ treatment is to reposition jaw joints so that they can find a true resting position when not in use and have a proper alignment for comfortable function. Surgery is necessary when a patient has deformities in the jaw joint’s components. A dentist can “equilibrate the bite” by building up back teeth with crowns, with orthodontic treatment, or with an oral splint.

Dr. Rippe’s treatment focuses on bite issues that cause TMJ pain, not on deformation of the bones that make up the joints. His treatment involves a specially calibrated oral appliance, or oral splint, worn primarily at night. The splint allows the jaw joints to rest, and the brain begins to reprogram muscles to hold the joints in the new, correct position. The MAGO splint is a diagnostic tool that Dr. Rippe employs to customize oral splints for TMJ therapy.

MAGO Splint

MAGO is an acronym that stands for maxillary anterior guided orthotic. Maxillary refers to the upper jaw, the maxilla. Anterior refers to teeth in the front of the mouth. Orthotic is defined as a support device worn to correct part of the body. Think of the orthotics people wear in shoes to correct a fallen arch. The MAGO Splint, then, is a supportive device worn on the upper jaw, over the front teeth.

Dr. Rippe can revise a MAGO splint to find the precise bite position that will allow your jaw joints to relax when at rest so that they can also function comfortably when in use. With weekly adjustments to the device, patients usually wear the MAGO splint between three weeks and three months. When the doctor sees that the MAGO splint is stabilizing your joints as intended, the splint will become a guide for accurately calibrating your oral splint for ongoing TMJ therapy. This approach to therapy takes the guesswork out of diagnostics, which removes much of the potential for error.

Getting Started with TMJ Therapy

If you’re tired of the pain caused by TMJ disorder, it’s time to seek treatment with Dr. Rippe. Our dental office is located in Centennial, CO, and serves patients from the DTC area, Greenwood Village, and Englewood. Call us at 303-779-9876 to schedule your TMJ evaluation today!