TMJ Services
#133 Less is Better When Treating TMD
The treatment of TMD has become a very controversial topic. It is much more than simply controversial; it is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma. It is a very common disease. Roughly, 45% of the females in the US exhibit TMD symptoms. It is almost an exclusive female disease with a prevalence of 90% females […]
#132 What Are Nociceptors and Why Are They Important to Understanding TMD?
Nociceptors are the pain receptors in the nervous system. They are present in various locations throughout the body, both in internal organs like the stomach and the external portions like the skin and bone. Instead of calling them pain receptors, doctors for centuries have called them nociceptors, Noci-Nocere, from Latin, “To Create Pain”. Doctors have […]
#131 Why Does TMD Sometimes Feel Like an Earache?
Earache is one of the most common symptoms associated with TMD, (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). Patients report variations in the degree and frequency of the pain. It can be intermittent or continuous, sharp and stabbing, or dull and annoying. When these pains become frequent and/or recurring, patients most often seek treatment at convenient care clinics or […]
#130 Why Does TMD Sometimes Feel Like a Toothache?
Pain associated with TMD (temporomandibular Joint Disorder) is often described by patients as feeling like a toothache. They point to the offending tooth or area and say, “It hursts right here doctor!”. These pains are always associated with a posterior molar tooth. When the dentist x-rays and examines the offending tooth there is no evidence […]
#129 How Does TMD Cause My Jaws to Lock?
One of the most common symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, (TMD), is the inability to open the mouth fully causing the jaws to be locked partially closed. Patients usually complain that opening widely to eat, sing, yawn, or during a dental appointment causes pain. It was previously thought that the inability to open the mouth […]
#128 Exactly How Does TMD Cause Ringing in My Ears
Tinnitus is the proper name for the symptom of the sound of ringing in the ears. The proper pronunciation is “TIN-a-Tus”, not “TIN-I-TUS”. Tinnitus is derived from the Latin word, “tinnire”, to ring. Tinnitus is a relatively common symptom. A most recent article written by the Department of Otolaryngology in Mainz, Germany established the prevalence […]
#127 Exactly How Does TMD Cause My Headaches?
There is not one dentist in a thousand who knows the answer to this question. And the physicians fully admit they do not know what cause migraine headaches. When the patient presents themselves to the convenient care clinic or the emergency department at the hospital with severe and recurring headaches, not one of the health […]
#126 Protocol and Device are Both Necessary and Work Together.
One Without the Other is Not as Effective. The Urbanek Device and Protocol is the result of a thorough and independent investigation about the mechanisms within the body responsible for the disparate symptoms of TMD/TMJ, (Frequent and/or recurring headache, earache, jaw pain, neck pain, facial pain, ringing in the ears, subjective hearing loss, vertigo, upper […]
#125 What Is Mewing and What Does It Have to Do With TMD?
Mewing is a proposed method for enhancing and improving facial growth developed by Dr. John Mew, a British Orthodontist in the 1970’s. His son, Dr. Mike Mew has continued to promote his father’s method. I chose it as the topic for this week’s article because the concept of Mewing has recently been popularized by adolescents […]
#124 What is “Joint Splinting” and why is it so Important when Treating TMD/TMJ
Joint Splinting is the descriptive term used by orthopedic surgeons to explain how damage and chronic inflammation within the body’s joints create pain distant from the joint itself. When a joint becomes damaged due to acute or chronic trauma, it stimulates inflammation within the joint. Inflammation is the body’s response to any kind of damage. […]