Orofacial pain

The treatment of chronic pain of the head and neck is a difficult diagnostic puzzle. In an acute injury, the pain is at the site of origin, in a chronic condition however, the brain and body have instigated a variety of compensatory mechanisms that may drastically alter the degree and location of symptoms.

Diagnostic postural balance tests are used to prioritise treatment and identify the origin of the presenting systems, which may involve: muscle pain of the head, neck or back; dizziness or vertigo; migraine; pain in the arms, hands or shoulders; sleep deprivation; swallowing difficulty; and many other symptoms. Treatment involves jaw joint stabilisation using removable pivots or splints and mandibular postural appliances to correct any structural injuries. Referral to other medical and allied health practitioners is required if systems persist for treatment of biochemical, physiological, hormonal or respiratory disorders.

Following jaw joint stabilisation, pain relief and a full range of jaw movements, restorative dentistry is undertaken (if required). This involves protecting compromised heavily restored teeth, improving aesthetics, reconstructing the correct intermeshing of teeth using restorative techniques (crown, bridges, implants or only) orthodontics, orthognathic surgery or cosmetic dentistry,

Do you suffer from Head/Neck pain? Regular headaches? Jaw ache?
Find out how we can help!

www.woollahradental.com 

A Mental Headache

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction and muscle disorders, often known as TMJ or TMD, can be not only a real physical pain but a psychological pain as well. When the muscles and nerves of the TM joint are injured; inflammation, headaches, blurred vision, jaw tightness, ear pain, ringing in the ear, facial swelling, shoulder/neck stiffness and even depression can occur.  According to the TMJ Association, approximately 12% of the population is affected by TMD.  A research article by The School of Psychology and Life Sciences concluded that, “depression is particularly common among TMD patients” and pain symptoms associated with TMD can be treated with occlusal appliances or dental splint.

The TM joint is where the bones of your skull connect to your jaw located just in front of your ear. Injury to the TM joint can occur directly through experiencing physical trauma or occur over time such as:

• Experiencing excessive stress or anxiety 
• Teeth grinding/clenching
• Poor posture
• Misalignment of teeth position
• Genetics
• Poor Orthodontic treatment 
• Ill-fitting dentures
• Excessive gum chewing
• Arthritis 

When people experience chronic pain, such as that experienced from TMD/TMJ depression becomes prevalent. According to WebMd, “depression can magnify pain and make it harder to cope”, which make it a vicious cycle if left untreated. TMD patients have said that the pain they feel stops them from doing daily activities, socialising with friends, going out to eat, talking on the phone and it disrupts their sleeping so they are always tired and have clouded thoughts.

Pain brings people to their GP first for immediate relief through medication.  However, there are other options for long term relief such as a visit to see Dr Tony Ancell of Woollahra Dental Practice.  His practice takes a holistic approach and can help treat TMD/TMJ through orthodontics, bite reconstruction, creating an occlusal appliances or dental splint.

If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic pain from the TM joint call today 02 9363 5690 to seek treatment that is life changing.

www.woollahradental.com

Sweet Destruction

‘Our “sweet tooth” has been the basis of one of the most long standing controversial topics in the health and food industries. The food industry believes and markets refined sugar to be a food that is harmless and “natural”. Whereas doctors and nutritionists in the health industry have been conducting studies and releasing research that is proving that refined sugar is actually a “poison”!

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines poison as, “A substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism.” In 1957 Dr. William Coda Martin concluded that refined sugar is a poison. He stated, “The refinement process, creates a product our bodies can’t use, because we can’t digest it. It is more of a pharmaceutical drug than it is a nurturing food.”

In the early 1900’s the average consumption of sugar per year was 6-9kg. It’s scary to say that now the sugar consumption is closer to our weight in sugar each year as it has been made readily available and put into almost every packaged food on the grocery store shelfs. Sugar has become a habit in the majority of our daily lives and for many people, it has also become an addiction. At a neurobiological level of addition a study titled, Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar analogy to the limit, showed sugar to be more robust than those of cocaine.

Over consumption of refined sugar causes the body to become more acidic. Excess sugar get stored as glycogen in the liver and causes it to swell.  From the liver the refined sugar re-enters our blood stream as a fatty acid which inevitability get stored around the belly, thighs and bum. Unfortunately, when these areas no longer have room to store the refined sugar it end up in our vital organs such as the kidneys, pancreas and heart.

This leads to serious health issues:
• Increased Risk of Diabetes
• Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
• Increased Risk of Stroke
• High Blood Pressure
• Poor Digestion- IBS, Intolerances, Constipation, Bloating
• Ineffective Immune System
• Gallstones
• Tooth Decay/Loss of Teeth
• Short Term Memory Loss

As we take a holistic approach to dentistry here at Woollahra Dental Practice, we urge you to become more mindful of your food choices and take note of the sugar content they contain. Reading food labels can be difficult a quick way to find out really how much sugar is in a product is to take the number of grams per serve and divide that number 4. This will tell you how many teaspoons of sugar are in your food as 1gram equals 4.2 teaspoons.

Contact us today 

Woollahra Dental Practice

27 Queen Street

Woollahra NSW 2025

Phone: 02 9363 5690

admin@woollahradental.com