I spend lots of time trying to relieve patients from painful teeth. Of course, there are numerous causes of tooth pain, but today, I want to focus on a prevalent and typically easy-to-treat one that has to do with the forces we place on our teeth called hyperocclusion. Hyperocclusion is when we generate forces that exceed the ability of our teeth and supporting structures. As I always say, teeth should glide together, not collide together. This post will discuss how it happens and what your dentist can do about it.
Read MoreI had written about how teeth are supposed to fit together on February 10th, 2020. The three classifications dentists use are classes I, II, and III. My colleague Dr. Kevin Boyd has proposed adding a class IV classification. Most orthodontic cases today should be classified in this new way. Because it involves both the upper and lower jaws being too small, breathing is often compromised in patients with it. With poor breathing, especially at night, comes a host of other physical ailments. Read on to find out how your dentist can recognize and treat this condition.
Read MoreTooth wear is considered a bad thing in the modern era. It can be painful and unsightly. Furthermore, a 2019 analysis of 706 studies involving tooth wear associated it with sleep disorders, oro-facial pain, oral dryness, GERD, and sleep bruxism (tooth grinding). However, several lines of research conclude that tooth wear, even in childhood, may be an evolutionary survival strategy. Especially as it pertains to proper jaw growth. The story is a little complicated, so I want to give you a little background and then explain how tooth wear may have been beneficial during our evolution.
Read MoreBefore the advent of farming, our jaws were larger; our faces were broader, our teeth were straight, we had adequate room for our wisdom teeth, larger brains, and more space in our throats to breathe. It is a virtual certainty that our changing diets contributed to crooked teeth and a lack of adequate space for wisdom teeth and constricted airways. SMALL JAWS CAUSE BIG PROBLEMS. Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, depression, and anxiety are a few. In this post, I am going to cover how our lifestyles have changed leading to our current problems, and what we can do about it.
Read MoreSnoring, mouth breathing and sleep apnea are collectively associated with Sleep Disordered Breathing, or SDB. SDB causes poor oxygenation in the body and the brain dysfunctions as a result. Children are uniquely susceptible to oxygen deprivation because their brains are still developing. Low oxygen and lack of adequate sleep for children's brains often leads to poor concentration, attention problems, hyperactivity, aggression, impulsivity, somatic complaints, and social withdrawal. The issues could be life-long and irreversible if not addressed early. I will cover snoring and its related problems and what you can do about them in today’s post.
Read MoreI had the idea for a post about the different kinds of teeth we have a few weeks ago and thought it might be too simple. But then I had a patient that was asking me about the different kinds of teeth and their functions in chewing, so I am going forward with the post. Maybe this is not a very exciting topic, but knowledge of the functions of the different kinds of teeth we have could help patients who are experiencing problems because they are not correctly using them.
Read More