Potential risk factors associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

Researchers have identified potential risk factors for temporomandibular joint disorders, referred to as TMD.  The study presented in the NYSDA News pointed out that individuals with symptoms such as:

• Pain in the chewing muscles or jaw joint
• Pain in the neck, jaw and face
• Stiff jaw muscles
• A jaw that locks or has limited movement
• Painful clicking, popping, or grating in the jaw joint
• Changes in the fit between upper and lower teeth
• Notches at the gumline on more than one tooth

• Excessive wear to teeth

Temporomandibular disorders are estimated to affect more than 10 million Americans; women more so than men, according to the National Institutes of Health.  If you have one or more of the symptoms listed above you should ask your health care professional more about the problem or ask for a referral to someone that does manage TMJ disorders (TMD).

At Aesthetic Dental Designs® we have extensive training on handling the various types of TMD.  Dr Todd Snyder, DDS completed an extensive 17 month training program on occlusion and TMJ disorders at the prestigious FACE Institute in Burlingame, CA.

Decrease your risk for a Stroke or Heart Attack

The American Heart Association recently presented a study showing that individuals receiving professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer strokes and heart attacks.  Of the 100,000 people that had their teeth scaled and cleaned, 24% had a lower risk of heart attack and 13% lower risk of stroke compared to those who had never received a cleaning.  The participants were followed for 7 years.

Professional teeth cleaning and scaling appeared to reduce inflammation causing bacterial growth that could lead to bacteria spreading to other parts of the body putting one at greater risk for heart disease and stroke.

Find out more about other new links in the Oral/Systemic Health Connection.
At Aesthetic Dental Designs®, we want everyone to be aware that regular cleanings 2-3x a year is recommended for healthy adults as bacterial buildup on the teeth and root systems at a toxic level at 90 days. Keeping that colonization from progressing and spreading throughout the mouth and body will have huge benefits in ones life and health care expenses.

Have you been checked?

Velscope Vx Oral Assessment Device

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.

Aesthetic Dental Designs® wants everyone to consider the life changing potential of having oral cancer.  Many people think it will never happen to them, but it can, it can happen to anyone at any age even if you are not a tobacco user or a consumer of alcohol.  Oral cancer is becoming more prevalent in our teenagers also due to the human papilloma virus.

Make sure you get an oral cancer screening once a year by your dentist.  Furthermore, a fairly recent device that is non-invasive and takes less than two minues that can provide early detection is the Velscope Vx.  We are using this device on every patient and have found early forms of cancer that are completely undetectable without its use on a few of our patients already.  Dont wait to find out and check yearly.  April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Snyder and his staff would like everyone to help spread the information so that other's can benefit.

Some amazing facts to consider: 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 30,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years. Overall survival rate is 18% or less. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, ovary, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma).