by Alessandro Cignetti

Dental medicine, in its holistic vision, and not just as a super specialty, considers the tooth as a functional unit not only from a mechanical point of view, but also from the deepest point of view of the individual: emotionality. The strong experiences lived have affected the way of life and, therefore, the psychophysical well-being, predisposing the individual to be prey to the mind that can distort reality: a vision that is a direct result of emotional experience. In our personal professional research history we have already published some concepts relating to the relationship between teeth, roots and emotions (Cignetti, 2000). The dental roots sink, in addition to the bone, also into the emotional experience of the patient, especially that of the family of origin. The psychological distress determines a situation of stress that the individual tries to resolve by grinding the teeth, moving them from their neuro-muscular position, with considerable effort of the maxilla and mandible, altering the position of the ATM and activating a very varied symptomatology. By shifting the focus to the temporomandibular joint, which is closely related to muscles, bones, the craniosacral and endocrine systems (the sphenoid cooperates in the formation of the sella turcica in which the pituitary gland is anatomically housed), we can hypothesize an energetic disturbance of the same with reverberations on the entire neuroendocrine system. A holistic diagnosis that goes beyond specialist barriers is able to propose the use of mechanical and pharmacological homeopathic-homotoxicological remedies, with the possibility of solving the patient's problems, allowing the reversal of the pathological process.

JAW-EMOTIONS: CORRELATION OF FETAL ORIGIN?

If we consider that in a one-month-old fetus the mandible and hyoid bone have already begun to form, we can hypothesize that what happens in the uterus from that period onwards and throughout the pregnancy is memorized on the mandibular and hyoid osteocytes as well as on all the other cells, leaving a deep mark of emotional cellular memory that will release its vibrations with each swallowing act. This physical-emotional mechanism is transferred into the life of the adult with consequences on posture, internal organs, etc., predisposing him to a quality of life that finds its roots in his own individual history. We therefore hypothesize a deep connection between intrauterine experience and emotions with reverberations on the mandible and swallowing.

This will be followed by the trauma of birth, the first disappointments and abandonments, with “storage of these memories” on the teeth and on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The temporomandibular joint has a close correlation with brain activity as it is close to several structural elements: the VII pair of cranial nerves (balance), the V pair (sensory-motor transmission), craniosacral breathing (wet nerve transmission), bone transmission on the sphenoid and sella turcica (endocrine transmission) and brain activity (modification of EEG waves).

EMOTIONAL RESPONSE AND FIXATION CIRCUIT

The perception of the sensory stimulus (Cannon-Bard theory) first induces an emotional experience (fear) and then generates a somatic and visceral response, from which a somatic emotional reaction (expression) originates. James-Lange states that first a somatic-visceral response occurs, somatic emotional expression, then the information reaches the emotional experience. Our hypothesis introduces the act of swallowing as a transit response in both the first and second theories, with emotional fixation on the teeth.

My own proposed theory of brain circuits of emotion, applied to Ledoux's theory, suggests that, after the emotional stimulus, information passes through the act of swallowing, giving cortical information, with somatic responses and direct information to the sensory cortex; these inputs stimulate the motor and emotional cortex, generating a feeling.

In the Cannon-Bard brain circuit, our theory inserts the act of swallowing after emotional stimulation to the thalamus, which sends the signal to the hypothalamus and the cerebral cortex. The hypothalamus reverberates the signal in two directions: a somatic response and the other directed to the cerebral cortex, generating a feeling.

THE ROLE OF THE AMYGDALA

The amygdala is the center for collecting and transmitting emotional information. Through primary emotionality, with stimuli on the thalamus and response on the cingulate-amygdala, the response will be directed towards the cingulate, the hypothalamus, the TMJ and the hyoid bone.

The secondary emotional circuit includes information from the TMJ and the hyoid bone to the amygdala, which sends it to the ventromedial nucleus, creating alterations to the endorphinic center, favoring the onset of an anxious-depressive syndrome. The amygdala, through the central nucleus, sends two pieces of information: to the hypothalamus, inducing an autonomic response, and to the periaqueductal gray matter of the brainstem for a behavioral reaction; the third comes from the basolateral nuclei of the amygdala on the cerebral cortex, after an emotional experience.

THE ROLE OF MERIDIANS

The role of the Meridians in transmitting information along them at the speed of light must also be taken into consideration. This clarifies how anxious-depressive information pervades the entire individual with symptoms (sometimes) deviating from a correct diagnosis. Dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance of the ATM highlights the various anatomical-functional structures, the thinness of the thickness of the bony case that separates the brain mass from the condyle and the joint capsule, a true bony depression with transmission-vibrational possibilities to the brain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This work highlights the correlations between TMJ dysfunctions and EEG dysfunctions for a rational interpretation of orthotic rehabilitation therapy and aims to understand whether the symptomatology that frequently accompanies patients with dysfunctional pain syndrome is correlated to their anxious-depressive symptomatology.

65 patients with the above-mentioned symptoms were selected. The sample consisted of 46 females and 19 males, ranging in age from 18 to 55 years.

All patients underwent EEG at 2 different times of the day (morning and afternoon). In some cases, during the same day before and after the application of the orthotic; in others one day after the application of the orthotic to evaluate whether the subject could have been influenced by the presence of the doctor or whether an influence on the emotionality by the family was decisive.

EEG showed 44 positive cases and 21 negative cases. The EEG diagnosis in the 44 positive cases was: “alteration and irritability of the cerebral cortex, related to pain with the presence of pathognomonic strengthened spikes of cerebral pain, attributable to suffering of the trigeminal fibers”. In the first patient analyzed, EEG changes could be observed on the same day (before and after the application of the orthotic).

In the second patient analyzed, a change was recorded in the tracing performed before the application of the orthotic, (compared to the one performed the following day, at the same time and in the same conditions with normalization of the alpha rhythm). Monitoring was also performed regularly during therapy to evaluate the stability of the EEG.

THERAPY

We must distinguish physical-mechanical therapy from homeopathic-homotoxicological therapy.

For the biological homeopathic-homotoxicological therapy we have respected the postulate of Homeopathy and Homotoxicology: the patient exists and not the disease.

For similar symptomatology, in two patients suffering from anxiety-depressive syndrome, the classification in the Phases of the Table of Homotoxicosis may be different. This evaluation implies diversifications in therapy, with specific remedies individually.

This work highlights the correlation between ATM brain activity and Amygdala with physical, mechanical and emotional involvement.

Anxiety and depression can find fertile ground to take deep root in the “emotion-ATM-brain activity-Amygdala” circuit.

It is our hope that this new information will lead to a greater and more careful observation of patients with anxious-depressive symptoms, researching and evaluating the possible role of the temporomandibular joint.

Emotional and mechanical stimuli determine the blocking of cranial movement and the bioelectrical transmission of information both along the meridians and through the cerebrospinal fluid, involving all organic systems, with modification of posture. Our research highlights how the temporomandibular joint has a close interconnection with the pain centers and that it is often the cause of a quality of life predisposing to anxiety and depression.