You may have heard of people with tongue ties before. Many of them are never diagnosed, and patients can suffer from many problems related to the tie. Short and tight frena cause tongue ties. We have several frena in the mouth that can cause other problems. This post will cover what frena are, the problems they can cause, and what to do about them.
Read MoreI have written numerous posts on the plight of our small jaws over the years. So I thought it might be a good idea to share the story of mine, and what I have done about it. Maternal smoking, lack of breastfeeding, soft food, swollen tonsils, sinus problems, a deviated septum, and attractive orthodontics all played a role. The good news I was able to correct every problem. I will tell you how at the end of this post.
Read MoreI want to share a shocking brief digital simulation showing how our faces have been drastically shrinking over several hundred years. I got it from Dr. Michael Gelb DDS in NYC, who got it from best-selling author James Nestor. Please concentrate on the lower face; you will see how the jaws are shrinking and moving back toward the throat. This causes the tongue to partially or fully occlude the airway, especially when we sleep. You should also notice how the face is less attractive now. In fact, it is rare to see someone who has realized their potential for full facial development. People with properly developed faces will always have straight teeth, room for their wisdom teeth, superior beauty, and better health. Whatever they do for a living, they appear to be actors and models. Since most of us have underdeveloped faces, this epidemic has gone primarily unnoticed by us, including most physicians and dentists. This needs to change because, as you will see in this post, it is one of the major contributing factors for many, if not most, of our modern health problems.
Read MoreToday I am sharing a video about a child who was incorrectly diagnosed as having ADD/ADHD when his real problems were allergies and poor breathing that we call sleep disordered breathing. His mother describes a kind of domino effect that when recognized, is easily treatable. At my offices, we have teams of pediatric dentists, orthodontists, surgeons, orofacial myofunctional therapists, and lactation specialists to detect and treat these problems early. When needed, we refer to ENT, allergists, speech pathologists, and more. If more people were aware of the connection between childhood behavioral problems and sleep disordered breathing, millions of children would not suffer as they do. Please watch the video and share it; even if only one child is helped by your sharing, it will be worth it.
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 MoreCombined with age and neck circumference, a Mallampati Score over 2 is about 94% predictive of sleep apnea. When I see a Mallampati score of 3 or 4, I know the airway is compromised and dig a little deeper into the patients’ backgrounds. If you have never heard of the Mallampati classification system, you are in the majority. It is actually something you can measure yourself. Read on if you are curious.
Read MoreLip incompetence is a condition where the lips cannot form a seal when your jaw is at rest without straining. It should be diagnosed and correct as soon as possible. It is generally very easy to detect, but in some cases it can be tricky. If you suspect you may have this condition, consult with your dentist as soon as you can.
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