How to care for your dental appliance

Q. How often do you need to replace your dental appliance?

A. Probably more often than you do—if you don’t care for it properly!

Occasionally we have a patient who brings a distorted mouth guard or teeth-whitening tray to a dental appointment, and requests a new one. Since the damage to the appliance most commonly occurs as a result of an improper cleaning solution or improper storage, some information on proper care might be helpful to anyone who has such a dental appliance. These appliances are expensive to replace, but proper care can help them to last much longer.

The most common dental appliances are:

• A protective mouth guard, which is custom-fitted and helps prevent damage to the teeth and mouth during contact sports or other physical activity.

• A dental night guard, which is inserted at bedtime and fits snugly over the teeth to act as a cushion between the upper and lower teeth and which minimizes the effects of any grinding or clenching that might wear down the teeth.

• Snore guard: custom fitted snore guard positions the lower jaw forward using special connectors that are attached to upper and lower trays to minimize airway obstructions and snoring.

• A teeth-whitening tray, which is a custom-fitted, thin, flexible plastic tray that ensures proper application of a bleaching solution for at-home teeth-whitening.

• Invisalign Aligners: Custom made series of aligners used to straighten teeth.

The steps you can take to make your appliance last longer:

• Before using your appliance, rinse your guard with cool water;
• After using your appliance, wash it in cool, soapy water, and rinse it thoroughly; then brush it with a toothbrush and toothpaste;
• Soak the appliance in antiseptic mouth rinse for 10-15 minutes periodically, and then rinse it under cool water;
• Store and carry your appliance in a protective container that has openings for ventilation;
• Keep your appliance out of hot water or direct sunlight, because heat can distort it and affect its fit;
• Inspect your appliance regularly for wear and tear; and finally,
• If you observe any change or deterioration in your appliance, bring it to your dental checkup appointment to see if it needs replacement.

Your appliance was designed to do a job, but, if it’s not maintained in the proper condition, it’s not doing that job.

Remember, your dentist doesn’t want you to spend any more than you need to on protecting or whitening your teeth, and so it’s up to you to keep your appliance in good shape!

Editing by Veronica McDavid, WordsOnTheWebNY@gmail.com

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.

Headaches? Can’t Sleep? Have your TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) checked!

The average person swallows 2,000 times per day, causing the upper and lower teeth to come together and push against the skull. People who have a poorly aligned bite or missing teeth can have related health problems, such as frequent headaches or sleep disorders, because their jaw muscles must work harder to bring the teeth together, straining the surrounding jaw muscles.

This strain, known as orofacial pain, is defined as any pain in or around the face. Some people may experience pain in the ears, eyes, sinuses, cheeks or side of the head, while other experience clicking when moving the jaw.

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is one of the many causes of Orofacial pain. Other causes may include stress, nerve disorders or muscle spasms, tumors in the jaw bone area, oral cancer or referred pain from cardiac disease.

It is highly advised that you inform us at the first sign of discomfort.

Here are some of the symptoms of Orofacial pain.

• Pain behind the eyes
• Sore jaw muscles
• Teeth grinding
• Clicking or popping of joints
• Head/scalp painful to the touch
• Earaches or ringing
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Dizziness

Orofacial pain may be difficult to diagnose if its origin is not localized in one area. We try to diagnose the pain source by conducting tests to rule out a cracked tooth, the need for root canal, gum disease, teeth clenching or grinding. These factors can cause discomfort in the facial region but can be easily addressed.

 Here is your TMD checklist: Please advise us if you have any of these symptoms.

• An earache without an infection
• Jaw pain or soreness that is more prevalent in the morning or late afternoon
• Jaw pain when you chew, bite or yawn
• Clicking associated with pain when opening and closing your mouth
• Difficulty opening and closing your mouth
• Locked or stiff jaw when you talk, yawn or eat
• Sensitive teeth when no dental problems can be found

 Diagnosis and treatment for TMD depends on the cause and we will address that in the next article.