Most of us have experienced a sharp “zing” in a tooth while chewing or biting something hard like ice, candy, or a popcorn kernel. That sudden “zing” causes our jaw muscles to instantly stop contracting and activate the jaw opening muscles unconsciously. That reflex is one of the strongest in the body and is part […]
All Posts in Category: Education
Longer Sleep Helps Behavior and Health for Our Children
Another article appeared showing the physical and mental/developmental effects of too little sleep for all of us, but especially kids. Sleep Organizations are pushing for later start times for school based on the growing body of evidence “short sleep” is affecting health. Parents can model better sleep habits and set some simple guidelines for their […]
The Dangers of Children with Airway Problems
Snoring, sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea in children is associated with impaired attention, neurocognitive deficits and poor academic performance that is measurable in third grade children[1]. Children should not snore when sleeping, at any age. Snoring even 1-2 nights per week indicates a potential sleep apnea disorder. Other signs are bedwetting (consistent), restless sleep […]
Splints, Nightguards, and Equilibration of the teeth rarely helps TMJ Problems.
A recent article in J. Orofacial Pain & Headache, (the Journal of the American Board of Orofacial Pain of which I am a Diplomat) reviewed success rates of treating TMJ problems by Occlusal Adjustment (also called Equilibration of teeth). Occlusal Adjustment was the final treatment after the Dentists initially used a nightguard, then a splint. Neither treatment helped the pain complaints of headache or facial pain. As a final effort to alleviate the symptoms the Dentists decided to equilibrate the teeth because, as the article suggests, “they didn’t know what else to do”. This was reported to have been done despite the dentist’s foreknowledge that equilibration had a low success rate in alleviating TMJ symptoms.
Children’s Behavior and Sleep Problems
In the American Academy of Sleep Medicine this abstract was included in one of the “most Popular” from last year and it was worth reminding parents of children. The article reviewed the relationship of children, nighttime bruxism (grinding/popping teeth) and preschool behavior problems. Preschool children who grind their teeth and are withdrawn have lower school […]
Aggressive TMJ Arthritis in Teenage Girls – Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Over the past few years, I have seen a growing number of young women and girls with aggressive, degenerative arthritis in their TMJ joints. They didn’t have pain until the damage was late, usually a couple years after clicking started in their joint. Clicking in a TMJ means that the cartilage disc has torn off […]
Sleep Apnea and Depression
Sleep is essential for our bodies to rest and repair and it’s the only time our brain gets a chance to rest, regenerate, and clean up the memories and inputs from the day. During sleep, there are distinct stages of sleep that help the brain rest and recover, and other stages allow the muscles and […]
TMJ and Scuba Diving
Over the years I’ve seen a few patients whose TMJ symptoms started while scuba diving. Some had been diving for a longer time, while other patients it occurred on their first open water dive. A recent article [1] surveyed divers regarding dental pain and reported barodontalgia (tooth ache from ambient pressure change) in 42% of […]
TMJ Treatment Overview
TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) is a term that describes all problems in and around the TMJ. With TMJ disorders, there are problems in the joint itself (this is almost 100% of the primary problem) that cause muscles to cramp, spasm or hurt. It also shifts the alignment of the lower jaw (mandible) due to a shift […]
TMJ, Arthritis and Sleep Apnea
Statistics relating to the incidence of TMJ Disorders (TMJD) and Sleep Apnea are often quoted around 70%. In my specialty practice, I see above 50% of people presenting with TMJ problems also have undiagnosed sleep-breathing problems (Sleep Apnea, UARS, Fatigue). One of the many reasons these conditions are linked is the fact that an obstruction of […]
