Having Headache or Jaw Pain? Check your Posture!

 

One thing that dentists, physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, and yoga instructors all agree on is that having ideal posture (also referred to as a “neutral spine”) is key to a person’s overall wellbeing. How can this be?

The Domino Effect:

Forward head posture (hunching over) can cause the lower jaw to shift forward, which, in turn, and lead to improper fitting of the top and the bottom teeth, and eventually cause Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD).
The body posture creates a domino effect in the body. The skull tilts backward on the spine, and the upper body drifts backward. To compensate for these shifts, the hips tilt forward. All these movements put stress on muscles and joints, including the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) that, without treatment, can lead to inflammation of the muscles and the jaw joints.

What’s the Solution?

Often, the best solution is a multifaceted apparoach, a combination of dental, medical, and physical therapies:

A properly balanced oral appliance can help realign the teeth in a position that can reduce jaw pain and headaches caused by poor posture, and prevent future damage and wear of the teeth caused by Bruxism (clenching and grinding of the teeth).

Chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy can help reduce painful TMD symptoms.

Massage therapy can help release tight and knotted muscles at trigger points around the jaw and neck, and ease pain.

Regular yoga exercise can help reduce pain and improve posture.

So, it may sound like an unusual approach, but, the next time you have head pain or jaw pain, look to your posture for a solution—and don’t hesitate to discuss it with your dentist and your healthcare provider!

Please comment or call our office at 510-796-1656,  if you have any questions regarding this article.

Can a baby really be born with teeth?

Last month, here in Fremont, the newborn son of a family friend surprised his parents by coming into the world with two perfectly normal front teeth in his lower jaw.

If the child had been born several hundred years ago, he might have had something to worry about, because there were old wives’ tales regarding natal teeth, such as that a baby born with teeth would be selfish, or that such a baby was a vampire. Fortunately, we are enlightened enough not to to worry about the baby’s emotional predilections or go about strewing the house with garlic, as people once did to ward off vampires. Instead, doctors simply advise the parents to monitor the teeth.

Such teeth are called “natal teeth,” and natal teeth are extremely rare, with an incident rate at about one in 2000–3000 births. Natal teeth differ from neonatal teeth, which grow after baby’s birth, usually within the first thirty days. Natal teeth are usually the lower-front two teeth, and they may or may not be fully formed. Babies can also have more than two teeth, and, in rare incidents, even molars.

What is the reason for natal teeth, and will the child then have three sets of teeth over his lifetime, instead of the normal two? Not usually. Most of the time, natal teeth have simply erupted earlier then the usual schedule, and are not extra teeth, but normal baby teeth.

Although there is no known cause for the condition, several studies suggest that there are hereditary links, while others suggest natal teeth might be associated with certain medical syndromes. For this reason, babies born with natal or neonatal teeth should be carefully evaluated to rule out such a possibility.

What is the recommendation regarding natal teeth? Current thinking indicates that, unless the teeth are not fully developed, are loose, or are causing some other problem, they should not be pulled. Some of the reasons for pulling them might be that:

• If they are loose, natal teeth can increase the chance of a baby’s choking;
• Since natal teeth are usually very sharp, they can cause a lot of discomfort, especially in the early stages, to the nursing mother;
• If they create ulcers on the baby’s tongue, that can cause pain to the baby;
• If their enamel has not yet fully formed, they might be yellowed or unsightly.

Most of the time, however, there are no associated problems with natal teeth, and it is a condition that should simply be monitored.

Dental Tourism—Is It for You?

Over 80 percent of our patients travel less than fifteen miles to visit our office, but a growing number of patients nationwide travel thousands of miles for dental procedures. They go outside the U.S. in an attempt to save money on their dental bills. 

A Google search lists thousands of medical-tourism Web sites offering 65–75 percent savings over U.S. prices. These companies advertise medical “vacations” that include airfare; hotel accommodations, excursions, and medical care—at a fraction of the cost for the same care in the United States. Is this smart?

Choosing to entrust your mouth to a dental-tourism caregiver is a big decision. Here are some things you need to consider:

• Training: Although there may be a number of providers with training comparable to U.S. dentists’ (and many are even members of the American Dental Association), most dentists and patients nevertheless agree that no other country in the world has such stringent dental regulations as the United States. Dentists trained in the U.S. graduate from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), and must pass national examinations and meet state requirements before they earn a license to practice. (Even dental-lab technicians in the U.S. are likely to have received a higher degree of training in their specialties than they might receive elsewhere.)
• Infection:  In the U.S., infection control is governed by strict CDC (Center of Disease Control) guidelines.  Dental materials, drugs, and instruments used in the U.S. are regulated by the U.S Food and Drug Administration.  Do you know what the regulations are in dental-tourism destinations?
• Records: The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends seeing a dentist on a regular basis, to ensure preventive services and continuity of care. Your U.S. dental office is your “dental home,” and your own dentist is the one who knows your case and has records of your dental history. Consider talking to your dentist in the U.S., both prior to your visit and afterward, to ensure continuity of care. Be sure to arrange a safe and secure transfer of records from your U.S. dentist to the outside provider—and back again.
• Extra costs: Be aware of the potential costs of corrective procedures to your non-U.S. dentistry, in the event that your dentist in the U.S. needs to make any adjustments to it after you get home.
• Insurance coverage: Find out if your employer or insurance-company dental plan covers the U.S. follow-up treatment and potential repairs or replacements of prosthetics or appliances fabricated outside of the U. S.
• Recovery: Consider that many elective procedures, such as extractions and dental implant placements, are surgical in nature. Surgery carries post-treatment risks of swelling, pain, and infection. You might not feel up to that post-treatment vacation you’re planning. Consider also that, after your recent oral-surgical procedure, changes in airplane-cabin pressure on the flight home can sometimes cause pain or discomfort. 

 The most important thing, of course, is the standard of care. Most patients who travel overseas do so for particularly expensive elective procedures, like dental implants or full-mouth rehabilitation.  Months and years of special training and a lot of experience are required to master the skills to perform these procedures. Do you know what training and skills your dental-tourism dentist has?

After you have done your homework and considered all the items listed above, if you still want to go to a dental-tourism caregiver, and then talk to your “home dentist.” To ensure the best possible outcome, make him or her part of your team.

Good luck!

www.smileplusdentistry.com

510-796-1656

Does Your Mouth Ever Feel So Dry That It Causes You Discomfort?

Ever wonder why you sometimes have a dry, sticky feeling in your mouth and throat or on your tongue? Does your mouth ever get so dry that your lips begin to crack, or swallowing, talking, and tasting become difficult? There’s a name for that feeling: xerostomia.

The Role of Saliva in Good Oral Health

If you suffer from xerostomia, you realize how important saliva is, for keeping the mouth moist and comfortable—but what you may not realize is that saliva does much more than keep your mouth comfortable.

Saliva makes it possible for you to chew, swallow, and digest the food you eat. It controls the growth of naturally occurring bacteria and fungi to protect the teeth from decay. In severe cases, lack of sufficient saliva can lead to extensive tooth decay, sores, or even bacterial and fungal infections of the mouth.

What Causes Dry Mouth

Improper functions of the salivary gland, or xerostomia, can have many possible causes, such as:

• Medication. Dry mouth can often be a side effect of medications prescribed for high blood pressure or depression. (More than four hundred different medications, including leading chemotherapy drugs, can lead to dry mouth!)
• Radiation Therapy. Radiation therapy, given for cancer treatment, can damage your salivary glands and decrease saliva production. 
• Trauma. Trauma to the head or neck can damage the nerves of the salivary glands.
• Disease. Some diseases, such as diabetes, or some autoimmune disorders, such as HIV/AIDS, or Sjögren’s syndrome (in which a person’s immune system attacks his own body), can affect the production of both saliva and tears.

What Is the Treatment for Dry-Mouth Syndrome?

There are several different treatments for dry-mouth syndrome, or xerostomia; the one that works for you will depend on what is causing the problem. You need to work together with your dentist or physician to identify the cause of your salivary-gland dysfunction before you can begin to address the solution.

If your dry mouth is caused by medication, for example, your physician might change your prescription or adjust your dosage—or he might suggest that you use artificial saliva to keep your mouth moist. If your salivary glands produce some saliva, but just not enough, then perhaps another medication can improve your salivary-gland function.

Your dentist or hygienist can teach you how to brush and floss your teeth properly and how to keep your tongue clean. He or she might recommend the daily use of a fluoride toothpaste to help fight the tooth decay that comes with dry mouth. In severe cases, the answer might be the fabrication of custom trays, which you would fill with a fluoride gel and wear for several minutes every night.

Some Things That Will Help Keep Your Mouth Moist

• Try sipping water or sugarless drinks frequently, especially during meals, to aid in chewing and swallowing, and possibly in improving the taste of your food.
• Chew your food very slowly.
• Avoid salty, spicy, and acidic food.
• Avoid frequent snacking.
• Avoid carbohydrates, like bread and pasta.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, like coffee, tea, or some soft drinks.
• Avoid tobacco and alcohol.

Some Things That Will Increase the Flow of Saliva

• Eat foods that require a lot of chewing, such as apples, carrots, and celery, or crusty breads and rolls.
• Suck on acid-tasting, hard, sugarless candies.
• Chew sugarless gum.

If you suffer from dry-mouth syndrome, it is important to visit your dentist at least three times a year, to be checked for signs of early decay and infections. Don’t suffer in silence.

Left untreated, dry mouth is not just uncomfortable—it can cause serious dental problems!

How Smile Design Can Reveal (or Conceal) Your Age

The term “smile design” is a term the dental profession has adopted recently to describe the modern approach to cosmetic dentistry. The term is an apt one, because today’s cosmetic dentistry goes well beyond the basic training given in dental school.

 Good “smile design” requires extensive training and knowledge in several distinct areas:

• Principles of design regarding the “architecture” of the teeth,
• Usage of dental “white materials”(composites, porcelains, bonding agents, tints, and opaquers), which are the building blocks and colorants of the dental architecture, and
• Understanding of facial and oral musculature.

In addition to special training, a good cosmetic dentist needs experience in implementing his or her training in a way that will create healthy and beautiful smiles.

In cosmetic dentistry, one size definitely does not fit all. What is considered appropriate and attractive can differ according to personal preference, cultural differences, and facial structure. Artistic principles of “smile design” determine what shape, size, and color teeth will harmonize most naturally with a person’s own face, gender, age, and personality.

How a Person’s Smile Can Reveal His Age

If you compare the smile of a sixteen-year-old to that of a sixty-year-old, you will notice that not only are all the sixteen-year-old’s teeth lighter in color, but also that his top two front teeth (the central incisors) exhibit some significant differences in shape:

• Younger teeth are longer than they are wide (more rectangular than square),
• Younger teeth are longer than the teeth on either side of them (the lateral incisors), and
• Younger teeth have irregular bottom edges and rounded corners (rather than sharp).

The reason a person’s smile changes as he ages is that, with time and use, the central incisors wear down to the length of the other top teeth; their shape becomes squarer, their edges flatter, their corners sharper. Also, with age, the muscles of the upper lip lose elasticity, which means that an older person’s smile shows less of his upper teeth and more of his lower teeth.

A good cosmetic dentist must consider all these factors when applying the principles of smile design, because a well-designed smile must harmonize with your face in a way that is age appropriate and natural, and it must position your teeth in a way that will provide proper lip support.

You can see that good smile design is far more than just a dental improvement—it gives your whole face an instant “lift” and shaves years off your age.

 Aren’t you worth it?

Our next post will discuss how gender and personality factors also play an important role in “smile design.”

SmilePlus Dentistry provides a “smile design” consultation to help you discover your most natural and beautiful smile. Please contact our office for more information or to schedule an evaluation.

Treatment recommendations for TMD (Temporomandibular disorder )

 

What If I Am Diagnosed with TMD (Temporomandibular disorder)—How Can It Be Treated?

When you discuss your jaw pain with your dentist, he or she may diagnose it as TMD, or temporomandibular disorder. TMD is not one condition, but a group of several conditions, often painful, that can affect the jaw joint (the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) and the muscles that control chewing. The good news is that most TMJ disorders can be treated conservatively and easily and will not require surgery. A sequence of TMD treatments can isolate and address your particular condition, and your continuing routine dental visits during your TMD treatment will allow your dentist to monitor your TMJ symptoms.

Temporary TMD Pain Relief

Many home and drugstore remedies can temporarily alleviate the pain of TMD symptoms. The less aggressive of these include heat and cold packs, physical therapy, biofeedback, massage, and NSAID medications, such as ibuprofen. For a temporary solution, you might avoid foods that require repetitive chewing, or avoid extreme movements of the jaw,  such as the wide opening of the mouth required in singing or yawning.  What is important to remember is that, although these approaches can sometimes provide temporary pain relief, they do not treat the cause of your disorder. TMD treatment administered by the proper dentist will often be less costly and less time intensive. What’s more important, it can produce longer-lasting results.

Traditional Treatments for TMJ: Appliance Therapy, Occlusal Equilibration, Surgery

Before your dentist can select a specific treatment for your TMD symptoms, it is critical that she make a careful examination of the affected joints and occlusion. If an improper bite is the cause, one solution might be orthodontics or restorations, but often appliance therapy or occlusal equilibration is needed. In a small percentage of TMD cases, surgical intervention is required.

Appliance Therapy (Splint or Mouth Guard)

Typically, the first line of treatment prescribed by your TMD dentist will be the wearing of a TMJ splint to reposition the lower jaw into the socket. This will allow the muscles to function optimally, reduce stress on the jaw,  and/or cover the deflective interferences affecting the bite. Your TMD dentist has experience in fabricating many different types of splints and appliances, and, based on clinical findings, symptoms, and diagnostic tests, he or she will decide which appliance is best for you. If a splint helps to relieve the pain, it is possible that it was your bite or parafunction that was causing the problem. (Parafunction is a dental term that refers to unconscious activities of your central nervous system, such as grinding of the teeth during sleep, that might be harmful.)

Occlusal Equilibration

If your dentist determines that no structural disorder exists in the joint, you might have deflective interferences (teeth that do not line up properly when you bite or chew) that are affecting your bite and causing an improper jaw closure. If that is the case, your dentist may suggest you undergo occlusal equilibration.  Occlusal equilibration involves selective reshaping of the biting surfaces of the teeth. Often, the TMJ can be corrected with occlusal equilibration performed by a dentist experienced in TMD diagnosis. If the lower jaw has previously been unable to close properly into position within the temporomandibular socket, occlusal equilibration can allow the muscles to function properly again and offer immediate pain relief.

Surgical Treatment

Typically, only after all the conservative TMD treatment options have been exhausted, is oral surgery considered: arthrocentesis (a procedure in which fluid is drained from the joint), arthroscopy, or open-joint surgery. These procedures are performed under general anesthesia.

What Other Options Do I Have?

Unfortunately, there are some TMD issues that are not resolved even by surgery. If you have sought and received proper diagnosis and treatment early, you will probably not need more aggressive alternative medical treatments,   such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), ultrasound, trigger-point injections, or radio-wave  therapy. Like the self-help or drugstore treatments mentioned above, however,   these treatment alternatives are only palliative; that is, they may provide limited, temporary symptomatic relief, but do not treat or “cure” the causes of TMD.