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 TMJ
related disorders:
Many people suffer from these TMJ and related disorders and are mostly
undiagnosed and/or untreated. The problem happen when the chewing muscles, jaw
joint and teeth do not work together properly.
Symptoms of the TMJ related disorders:
Symptoms vary over a wide range the most common being headaches, teeth clenching
and grinding, ringing in the ears, dizziness, upper neck and/or facial pain,
difficulty or pain, upon opening of the mouth where the jaw feels stiff, tight,
or tired, also difficulty or pain when chewing, or jaw "stuck" either open or
closed. Common signs also include facial muscle spasm, fatigue, jaw, and facial
pain; and noise from the joint area (e.g. clicking, popping), jaw shifting
during inital opening.
Treatment
in early stages is mostly successful with conservative and non surgical
procedures starts with utilizing intraoral appliances called repositioning
splints, which aim to place the jaws at a position favorable for the joint and
the surrounding muscles, and "cancels" the effects of a bad bite if any was
present. Once relief is established in the new position desirable by the joint
changes could be made to the teeth to guide the bite into the desirable
position, these changes could be as simple as selective grinding of teeth
surfaces which is known as occlusal adjustment, Orthodontic treatment might be
indicated at many instances, and in other instances crown and bridge and
dentures could be used, eventually to restore normal function without needing to
wear splints.
 OSA
(Obstructive Sleep Apnea)
Similar to TMJ related disorders, many people
suffer from OSA and are mostly undiagnosed and/or untreated. The problem
happens when an obstruction in the breathing airways happen during sleep and the
subject person stop breathing for various frequencies and length of time. The
intermittent episodes of complete cessation of breathing are due to a total
airway collapse, despite a persistent effort to breathe. When breathing stops, a
listener hears the snoring broken by a pause until the sleeper gasps for air and
awakens. The process disrupts ventilation and reduces the amount of oxygen
supply to the blood, to the lung, to the heart, and to the brain, inducing sleep
fragment, disrupting normal sleep cycles, and creating serious health problems
such as hyperactivity in kids and congestive heart failure, heart attack,
stroke, and sudden death during sleep. OSA is a potentially life-threatening
medical disorder and progressively worsens with advancing age and weight gain.
If the obstruction is thought due to the position of the tongue, treatment is
indicated to position the tongue and the lower jaw in a more anterior position.
Symptoms and signs of OSA
Daytime symptoms include morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue,
personality changes, irritability, anxiety or depression, poor job performance,
clouded memory, intellectual deterioration, decreased sex drive, dry mouth upon
awakening, hypertension, coronary artery disease. Night time signs include non
restful sleep, snoring, gasping for air after periods of holding breath during
sleep, which is either identified by a family member or through a sleep study at
specialized labs. Furthermore, patients with obstructive sleep apnea
present risk to the general public safety by causing an increase in vehicle
accidents. |
