With Black Friday sales practically a national holiday and entire television shows dedicated to using coupons and getting good deals on everything from flea market finds to vintage vehicles, you could say saving money is a big deal. But in life there are just some things you should never scrimp on – even if that means you pay a little more up front. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for – and in the case of these five purchases, you definitely want to pay for something good.

Believe it or not, 2019 is just around the corner - yes, really! - which means it's time to tie up loose ends from 2018. For some, this means using up the remaining money in their flexible spending account before that money is gone on January 1, 2019. But what do you spend it on?

When you think of the holiday season, there are so many wonderful things that come to mind, like family, friends, fun and, of course, all that delicious food. But for some people with TMJ disorder, that last one can take the joy out of the holidays, because some foods are simply too painful to eat. If that sounds like you, don’t despair. There are plenty of delicious foods you can enjoy this holiday season that won’t aggravate your TMJ disorder symptoms. Here are just a few (and a few to avoid, too).

We all have someone like this in our life - that person who seems to have everything and need nothing. They may be a great person, but when it comes time to buy them a holiday gift, it can be a little frustrating. As the age-old question goes: What do you get for the person who has everything? How about the gift of good health - good oral health, that is! This holiday gifting season, check out these luxury oral health care products that even the person who has everything probably doesn’t have (yet).

You may have never heard of the condition patulous eustachian tube before this past spring, when pop star Celine Dion cited it as the reason she was indefinitely shutting down her Las Vegas show, but for the estimated 1 percent of the population who suffer from it, the condition is all too familiar.

Do you wish your smile was just a little bit straighter and whiter? Do you also wish you could take a tropical vacation while getting the smile of your dreams? How much would you pay for this fantasy treatment? If dental tourism packages are to be believed, less than you might pay here in the United States at a board-certified licensed dentist. But buyer beware: You may be getting more than you bargained for - and not in a good way.

When researchers at Columbia College of Dental Medicine took a closer look at the cartilage of the temporomandibular joint recently, they realized this cartilage could do some pretty impressive things.

With the warm days and late nights of summer finally over, many people are spending more time indoors. But for some, there are painful reminders of summer lingering in their bodies - reminders that may never go away. That’s because an estimated 30,000 people each year contract Lyme disease, most commonly in the summer months. Worse yet, they may not even know they have it for months, years or ever. Further complicating matters, Lyme disease symptoms are often so vague they mimic other illnesses, causing patients to be repeatedly misdiagnosed.

It’s not uncommon to experience a lot of weird side effects when you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Things like popping and clicking jaws, ringing ears and migraine auras are all par for the TMJ disorder course. But one symptom often causes a bit more alarm than others: bumps or lumps under the jaw.

With Thanksgiving almost here and Christmas not far behind, it’s safe to say the stress of the holidays is about to kick in. But unlike holidays past, you don’t need to let your TMJ disorder symptoms flare up due to stress and your reaction to it. Try these tips for keeping your cool under pressure and keeping your TMJ symptoms at bay.

Cervical dystonia, also referred to as spasmodic torticollis, is defined as a rare brain disorder that causes unusual positioning or movement of the neck and head muscles. When a person has spasmodic dystonia, his or her head movements will in turn cause the positioning of the head to be somewhat off. According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, cervical dystonia is a focal dystonia that usually begins in middle age and typically affects more women than men.

When you suffer from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, getting relief from the pain can become a major priority. But unfortunately, there isn’t always a whole lot you can do. Pain pills only work so well, and physical therapy and neuromuscular orthodontics work well but may take time. If you are looking for ways to get immediate relief or lessen the amount of discomfort your TMJ disorder symptoms cause you, try these lifestyle tips to help create a more comfortable jaw, naturally.

Before the Federal Drug Administration enacted the Medical Device Regulation act in 1976, the medical device marketplace was a completely different space than it is today. Prior to this act, manufacturers of medical devices were not required to prove their devices were safe before they were sold to the public, causing many medical injuries.

When researchers in the University at Buffalo Department of Pathology and Animal Sciences decided to figure out what causes the jaw to grow and change over time, they were expecting the answer to be the long-held theory that it was the size and type of the animal’s prey that drove these evolutionary changes. But instead what the research team found was that the animal’s diet likely had nothing to do with it. So, what is responsible for these changes - and how can the answer help modern-day humans treat an increasingly common problem?

When actor Burt Reynolds died on September 6, 2018, fellow actors flooded social media with messages of sadness and admiration for the late actor. One tribute in particular, from Reynolds’ ex-partner, actress Sally Field, inspired the media to read Fields’ new autobiography, In Pieces, for further insight into their relationship. What they discovered was a loving yet complex relationship that was further complicated by a medical condition Reynolds suffered from.

Patients with osteoarthritis who use a glucosamine supplement to treat their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder naturally may be in for a disappointment. In a new study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, patients who used glucosamine supplements as an all-natural way to treat TMJ pain experienced no greater pain relief than those who took ibuprofen to treat the same symptoms.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a medical condition wherein the temporomandibular joint of the jaw becomes misaligned and causes pain throughout the face, head, neck and even the back. Patients with the disorder often have trouble being diagnosed because of the range of symptoms – which, in addition to the aforementioned pain, can include tinnitus, clicking or popping of the jaw, teeth grinding (bruxism), migraine headaches, and muscle aches. But one symptom in particular is much more obviously related to TMJ disorder - and a lot harder to deal with.

We all have bad habits - whether you are a perpetual knuckle-cracker, a hair-twirler or a smoker, some habits are worse for you (and harder to stop) than others. But one habit in particular – nail-biting – could be a lot worse for you than you realize. Here’s why you should stop nail-biting right now for the health of your smile.

Porcelain veneers are thin sheets of porcelain that are custom shaped to fit onto the tooth for the purpose of changing its color, shape or size. Veneers can help hide chips, discoloration, cracks, breaks or uneven shape, transforming an imperfect smile into a masterpiece. Though durable, due to their material and the fact that veneers are not your natural teeth, you must treat them a bit differently than you would a natural tooth.

Living with temporomandibular joint disorder is scary enough - the pain, the stiffness, the ringing ears. Add Halloween and its candy to the mix, and you’ve got a real nightmare on your hands. But there’s no need to be afraid of Halloween when you have TMJ disorder! Just follow these tips to survive the most frightful time of year without making your TMJ symptoms worse.