Don’t Let TMJ Disorder Make Halloween Scarier Than It Should Be

 

  Temporomandibular joint disorder can take the pleasure out of many things most people take for granted: singing, talking - even Halloween. That’s right. Halloween should be a fun day full of candy and costumes, but for someone with TMJ disorder, it can be a real nightmare. That’s because TMJ disorder can make normally enjoyable activities painful. But Halloween doesn’t have to be scary for your TMJ disorder! Here are some TMJ-disorder-friendly Halloween tips for the most spooktacular Halloween ever.

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What Exactly Is an Underbite?

You’ve probably heard of - and seen - an overbite before. But a lesser-known bite problem that occurs in only about 10 percent of the population is an underbite. An underbite is what happens when the lower jaw protrudes past the upper jaw. Not only is this type of misaligned bite more noticeable, but it can also unfortunately subject children to bullying and low self-esteem, among many other issues.

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5642 Hits

This New Innovation Could Improve Root Canal Outcomes

There are few dental procedures that strike fear in the hearts of patients like the root canal. The procedure, which clears out infected pulp inside of a tooth and replaces it with synthetic pulp, has earned a reputation of being long and painful. Worse yet, it doesn’t come with a guarantee. Because of the microscopic size of the root canals of the teeth, it can be tricky for dentists to find and clear out (and then refill) all the canals. This means even if the dentist is able to clean out all of the infected pulp, it could still come back. With risks like that, it's no wonder most people aren’t too keen on getting the procedure done in the first place.

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3664 Hits

Make Oral Health a Priority in Cancer Care

Undergoing treatment for cancer can be a scary and stressful ordeal, especially if surgery is required. With so many things to remember and arrangements to be made for before and after care, it's easy to forget important steps along the way. But researchers are now saying that one surprising step in pre-op care could literally be the difference between life and death, post operation.

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4967 Hits

Group Asks Senate to ‘Brush Up’ on Oral Health

With 44 million senior citizens on some form of Medicare in the United States (and that number set to nearly double in the next 12 years), ensuring that Medicare provides adequate health care coverage for all beneficiaries is an absolute must. But, when it comes to dental care, some feel that Medicare is completely lacking. That’s because currently Medicare covers just 1 percent of dental care for seniors, requiring them to purchase additional coverage for anything beyond the most basic of care. But now, a group called Demand Medicare Dental is trying to change that, lobbying senators across America to add more vital dental coverage to Medicare - without sticking seniors with the bill.

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Why Do Women Suffer from TMJ Disorders More Often Than Men?

It’s not always easy being a woman - especially when it comes to your temporomandibular joint. That’s because, according to research, women ages 20 to 35 experience the most severe temporomandibular joint disorder symptoms of any age or gender group.

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8434 Hits

Will a Sugar Tax Really Improve Oral Health in New York?

 

Earlier this year, the New York Times ran an op-ed about New York City's proposed sugar tax. The article's author spoke with former Mayor Bloomberg about his new Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health, which pairs him with former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Larry Summers to educate leaders around the globe on the importance of adding a sugar tax to help fight obesity. But is a sugar tax really a good way to fight obesity - or is it just more government overreach into our private lives?

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New Dental Bill Could Improve Access

On February 27, 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Action for Dental Health Act (H.R.2422). Co-authored by the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Mike Simpson (R-ID), a dentist, the bill received overwhelming support from both parties, and passed with 387 yes votes.

The bill’s next stop is the Senate, where it is currently being sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ); Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI); Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA); and Tim Scott (R-SC). The bill aims to reauthorize initiatives that increase access to oral health care for people in underserved communities around the United States.

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3713 Hits

Arthritis Could Be Cause of Jaw Pain

Arthritis is a disorder that causes painful inflammation of the joints. An estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer from some form of arthritis, with 40 million of those cases right here in the United States. But despite its frequent occurrence, you may not realize that arthritis can sometimes be responsible for another painful joint condition: temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. That’s because TMD is a disorder of the joints too – the temporomandibular joints. Though TMD can be caused by many different things, many people don’t realize that arthritis could be the culprit.

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5034 Hits

How to Get the Best Care Despite Dental Phobia

Odontophobia. It’s kind of a funny word, but it’s no laughing matter. Odontophobia is the fear of going to the dentist - a fear that an estimated 10 percent of the population have so severely that it keeps them from attending routine dental exams. The danger in this, of course, is that if you don’t go to the dentist, you could be missing some very harmful oral health problems, like cavities, periodontitis or abscesses, all of which, if left untreated, can easily worsen and wreak major havoc on your mouth.

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4659 Hits

Having Many Children May Negatively Affect a Mother’s Teeth

Moms today have a lot on their plate. From juggling the family agenda to working and raising children, there’s a lot to be done, and sometimes it seems like not a whole lot of time to do it. Perhaps that’s why a new study in The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health found that the more children a woman has, the more teeth she may end up losing as an indirect result.

"The working theory is that between the toll pregnancy takes on the body and the amount of time mothers spend caring for everyone but themselves, they are more likely to let their oral health slide, and ultimately end up losing teeth," says Bellmore, New York, dentist Dr. Gary Lederman.

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3478 Hits

Don’t Try This at Home: Five Dental Treatments to Leave to the Pros

 

We all take pride in accomplishing tasks ourselves, but there are some things in life that are best left in the hands of the professionals. Nowhere is this truer than in dentistry. That’s because while some treatments may look easy enough, they can leave you with permanent and irreversible damage to your teeth and gums – or leave you spending all your savings repairing the damage. While some DIY treatments are harmless, some are absolutely a bad idea. Here’s a list of five of the worst treatments to try at home.

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7148 Hits

Healthy Habits to Help With TMD

 

For temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) sufferers, doing everyday things like speaking and chewing can be a real pain. The good news is that if you have TMD, neuromuscular dentistry can help. The bad news is that it’s not a quick fix, and you could still experience interim pain between treatments. If you’re being treated for TMD, hang in there. If you’re still experiencing pain from your TMD and don’t want to rely on painkillers to get you through, here are some natural treatments you can try at home that have been shown to lessen symptoms and reduce pain.

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8191 Hits

New Study Links TMD to Migraine Headaches

For people who suffer from both migraines and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), the two conditions can seem so bad they’re related. Now, a new study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) has discovered they might be.

An estimated 12 percent of Americans suffer from debilitating migraine headaches - headaches that in addition to causing agonizing pain can cause everything from nausea to light sensitivity and dizziness. But while for some of those migraine sufferers, the pain stops there, the NIH has revealed that those who suffer from migraines are three times more likely to suffer from another debilitating condition: TMD.

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3517 Hits

Surprising Symptoms of TMJ Disorders

 

If you’re one of the 10 million Americans suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD for short, you’re probably already aware of the many different types of pain TMD causes. In addition to the jaw pain that is synonymous with TMD (after all, the temporomandibular joint is in the jaw), you may experience pain in other areas of the head and body. But for the millions of estimated undiagnosed TMD patients, their pain may not be an obvious clue. That’s because as TMD sufferers are probably already aware, every case of TMD is different, and the pain isn’t always in the jaw.

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Should New York City Teachers Brush Their Students' Teeth?

 

When the New York City Board of Health recently announced a proposal to require preschool teachers to brush students’ teeth after meals and snacks, many people thought it was a brilliant idea - but others were left scratching their heads. How can we ask a teacher to provide this type of personal care to a student, especially when many teachers are already stretched for time, space and resources? But is this a good reason to not require this program? Here are the reasons why this proposal could - and should - work.

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17591 Hits

ADA Takes Aim at Opioid Crisis

With growing cries from as high up as the White House for America to tackle the growing opioid addiction crisis, the American Dental Association announced it will now take a hardline approach to dentists prescribing the drugs. ADA President Dr. Joseph Crowley has asked that all 161,000 member-dentists "eliminate opioids ... if at all possible." While the move is a noble attempt to help reduce addiction and cull the sale of opioids from the secondary market, many are left wondering what it could mean for the comfort of patients undergoing painful procedures like pulled teeth, dental implants and root canals.

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3969 Hits

Protect Teeth from These Internet Challenges

 

Even if you haven’t seen the videos yourself, you’ve probably heard about those trendy YouTube "challenge" videos that surge in popularity every few months. It started a few years ago with the ice bucket challenge, a noble campaign to help raise money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. The videos were fun and funny, and they did an excellent job achieving their goal, raising over $115 million for ALS research. Since then, many other video challenges have been issued, but most have not been for raising awareness - rather, they have been issued for internet fame. And therein lies the danger. When impressionable kids see a way to get quick fame and popularity, it can be a dangerous combination.

If you are considering attempting one of these challenges, or if you have children who may be, read up on how these seemingly innocent competitions could wreak havoc on your oral health.

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Five Foods to Avoid Before a Dental Appointment

 

With so many healthy dietary choices out there, most Americans have no reason to eat junk food if they can help it. But just because a food is good for you doesn’t mean it’s a good choice to eat before your dental or orthodontic appointment. If you’re wondering what to avoid before you hit the dental chair, check out this list of the top five offenders, and what makes them such a bad mix with your exam.

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63969 Hits

Startling Oral Health Data from Ireland Raises Important Questions in America

According to a new study by Queen Mary University in London, parents in Ireland are failing to bring their children to the dentist at appropriate times. The study found that only 30 percent of parents brought their child to the dentist when the child was suffering from dental pain, while the rest visited either general practitioners to address the pain or the pharmacy for over-the-counter pain medication.

"The problem with this, obviously, is that a general practitioner isn’t a dentist and can’t fix a dental problem," says Bellmore, New York, dentist Dr. Gary Lederman. "Even if a general practitioner could diagnose a dental problem, they would still end up referring the patient to a dentist."

The problem is increasingly troubling because Ireland and the entire United Kingdom are facing major budget shortfalls due to cuts in their National Health Service (NHS) medical care program - shortfalls that have had a significant impact on the dental services the NHS provides U.K. residents.

"The NHS was in the news recently because they have charities that normally provide free dental care to children in Third World countries coming to the United Kingdom to work on children in England. That’s how short they are on funding. The program cannot even pay for routine dental care for its own participating children," says Lederman.

The other problem, which Lederman says is a far bigger issue, is that some parents are completely bypassing the general practitioner and heading straight to the pharmacy.

"Treating your child’s dental pain with over-the-counter pain medication instead of addressing the problem is just asking for trouble," says Lederman. "They might find temporary relief, but meanwhile the problem could be getting worse, which will only end up causing more pain and costing more money down the road."

While there appears to be no viable solutions on the horizon for the NHS budget crisis, Lederman says that domestically, parents can learn a thing or two from the United Kingdom situation.

"This should really show us just how vital it is to take care of our children’s teeth, and how urgent it is to be seen by a dentist if your child is complaining of discomfort," says Lederman. "We are fortunate here in America to have government programs like the NHS program, so if your child needs dental care and you are uninsured or cannot afford it, I absolutely encourage you to look into Medicaid programs in your community."

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4274 Hits
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