Smile Lines - Spring 2005

Simple TMD?

A complex disorder can have dental origins

Mesa Dentist If you have been suffering with jaw pain or clicking, earaches, headaches, even sinus pain, you could require dental intervention. In 1982, the American Dental Association adopted a new term to describe a constellation of problems that affect the jaw joint: Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD).

The temporomandibular joints just might be the most complicated joints in the body. If you place your fingers in front of your ears while opening your mouth, you can feel them. Their movement is controlled by powerful muscles which, along with the joints themselves and your teeth, are connected to the mandible or jawbone.

How can jaw anatomy affect the rest of your body?

A significant number of your body's nerves pass near the jaw joint.
Many of the nerves of your body go to your mouth and jaw.
Much of the brain's processing takes place through the trigeminal nerve ... which links with the facial, hypoglossal, and vagus nerves ... which control the sensation and function of almost all other muscles of your head, neck and throat.
Jaw compression can strain the neck muscles.
Strained neck muscles can affect blood flow to the head and neck.

We understand that living with the complex symptoms of TMD is no simple matter. We'll work with you toward a solution!

Detecting TMD

Some questions we may ask:

Do you have pain when you move your jaw or do you hear noise in your jaw joint?
Have you ever had medical treatment for jaw or facial pain?
Have you had a recent injury to your jaw or head?

We may also:

Check how wide you can open your mouth.
Feel your jaw joint for clicking, and identify pain and tenderness in and around your jaw, face, and head.
Inspect your teeth for wear (indicating grinding) and all other causes for your pain or discomfort.

Cinnamon

Mesa Cosmetic Dentist Say Cinnamomum. That's the genus the sweet, aromatic spice cinnamon belongs to. One of the earliest known and most sought after spices, it has been credited with creating the momentum to discover America. Research now credits cinnamon with the ability to do much more than that!

With no known risks and virtually no calories, cinnamon can:

inhibit disagreeable mouth odors by destroying sulphuric bacteria;
help the body to use insulin more efficiently, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes which has been linked to periodontal disease;
cut blood sugar levels by as much as 20-30% to help prevent diabetic complications that can be aggravated by periodontal disease;
reduce total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and triglycerides that can affect cardiovascular health.

So do yourself and your oral health a flavor, and spice up your diet with cinnamon!

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Sheldon Sullivan, DDS - Providing cosmetic dentistry, dental implants and sedation dentistry to the Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Phoenix, Arizona areas.

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