A fascinating new study out of the University of California Irvine could someday mean permanent relief for sufferers of temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJD. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a painful condition of the jaw in which the temporomandibular joint becomes misaligned, causing the jaw to click or pop when opened. It can also cause jaw stiffness; difficulty opening and closing the mouth; tinnitus, neck, head and shoulder aches; and much more. Currently, there is no cure for temporomandibular joint disorder, nor is there one single cause for the condition. Treatment options such as physical therapy, custom orthotics, Botox and more can bring some relief, though many sufferers have found longer-lasting relief through neuromuscular orthodontics treatments, and in some rare cases, surgery. But now, a new surgical treatment could someday help patients by providing them with a very special implant. "Researchers at UC Irvine believe they have found a way to grow biological temporomandibular joint discs in a lab," says Wexford, Pennsylvania, dentist Dr. Alexandra George. George treats patients with temporomandibular joint disorder using neuromuscular orthodontics. "And these biological discs would be implanted into TMJ disorder patients to replace the worn joints affected by the condition." This is not the first time this type of procedure has been attempted. In the 1980s a surgical procedure that used Teflon discs was developed, to devastating results. As the Teflon became worn, fragments broke away and entered the brains of many of the patients who underwent the procedure, causing permanent damage to the jaw and brain. The difference between those discs and the discs under development at UC Irvine is that the UC Irvine discs are made with biological tissue, so they are not only more likely to be accepted by the human body, but also, should they wear down over time, the biological material would simply be absorbed into the body without any harm or danger to the brain - or any other part of the body. Currently, the procedure has only been tested on mice, but to great success. The procedure would now need to be tested on human subjects, something the UC Irvine team is currently seeking Food and Drug Administration approval to do. "It will be fascinating to see in the coming years if this type of procedure gains FDA approval and if it really works to correct TMJ disorder in humans," says George. "Its efficacy in animal subjects shows great promise."

If you suffer from the pain of temporomandibular joint disorder, you probably have days when the pain and stiffness in your jaw is so out of control you’d try just about anything to get relief, no matter how new and unconventional it was. But while there are new advances in medical science every day, sometimes it can help to go with something a little older. As in, centuries older. Though you may not have tried it or even heard of it, acupressure has been around for a long time, with the oldest dated text on acupressure techniques dating back to around AD 282. Acupressure is an ancient form of what is known as "touch therapy," which works under the same principles as acupuncture, but instead of using needles, the pressure points are stimulated by the hands, or more specifically the fingertips. Much like with the many areas of the rest of the body, there are many acupressure pressure points that can potentially help with the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder. Though it may not work for everyone, acupressure provides another option to try in conjunction with your current TMJ disorder treatment plan. A few pressure points that are recommended by acupressure therapists for treating temporomandibular joint disorder include the Wind Pool technique, the Listening Place, the Jaw Bone Point, the Wind Screen and the Triple Warmer, among others. Though these techniques can be performed at home, it is best to visit a certified acupressure therapist to be evaluated first. He or she can perform these techniques on you and gauge your response. If they work and you continue with your therapist, great! If you prefer to try them at home, your therapist can instruct you in the proper way to perform them yourself if possible. If this sounds like something you would like to try for your temporomandibular joint pain, speak to Dr. George before beginning any acupressure, physical therapy or other medical regimen. She can evaluate your condition and make sure you are a good candidate for this type of therapy, and can even recommend some physical therapy techniques you can do on your own. To schedule an evaluation with Dr. George, please call 724-220-2347.

You may have already heard that some doctors and dental practitioners are using the popular cosmetic injectable Botox to treat more than just wrinkles. A growing number of practitioners are using the injectable to do things like controlling overactive sweat glands in patients with hyperhidrosis or helping to keep migraine headaches at bay. But while some of these uses are approved by the Federal Drug Administration, some newer uses are not – including use for temporomandibular joint disorder. But that could all change if a new clinical trial out of Canada yields the kind of results temporomandibular joint disorder patients are hoping for. "Currently, the Federal Drug Administration does not approve Botox for use with temporomandibular joint disorder," says Dr. Alexandra George, a dentist who specializes in the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, at her Wexford, Pennsylvania, clinic. "But we’re hoping this study will help change that." The study is being conducted at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, by a team of researchers in the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and will follow five subjects with TMJ disorder who are considered heavy tooth grinders. Funded by a $10,000 grant from the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the study will monitor the patients over six months - the amount of time the Botox is thought to be effective. Researchers say that the purpose of injecting the Botox is to take some of the pressure off the jaw joints, but experts like George say that may not be enough. "The great thing about this study is that it could possibly help a lot of patients with certain types of temporomandibular joint disorder - but it won’t work for everyone," George says. That’s because, as researchers concur, not all TMJ disorder cases are caused by the same problems. When the problem is not muscular and is in fact caused by damage to the temporomandibular joint itself, Botox cannot be effective. "Patients who have problems with the actual TMJ joint are often prescribed arthroscopy procedures, which not only get an up-close look at the joint itself but can actually clean it out and inject it with steroids to bring down some of the inflammation," says George. As for the study, the results are yet to come in, but researchers are already seeing positive results and remain optimistic that treating temporomandibular joint disorder with Botox may not be an off-brand use for much longer.

Have you ever had a headache that was so bad you couldn’t focus on anything else? What about a toothache, or an ear infection? If you think about the pain caused by each of these ailments, how do you feel they compare to, say, a stubbed toe, a sprained ankle or a cut on the finger? If you’re like many people, chances are you will think, for whatever reason, that pain in your head is worse than pain anywhere else in the body. Well, until recently this was just a theory. But recently, a team of researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, set out to test that very theory, and see why head pain seems so much worse than pain elsewhere in the body. What they found may surprise you. Published in the December 2017 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, the Duke University study reveals that the neurons that sense pain in the head are directly linked, via an express route, if you will, to the neurons in the brain that link to our emotions - emotions such as fear, pain, anxiety and depression. "In the head, the pathway between the pain receptors and emotions occurs in the trigeminal ganglion and runs to the parabrachial nucleus and on to other emotion receptors," says Dr. Alexandra George, a dentist who treats patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. "It’s like taking a direct flight from New York to Boston. On the other hand, in the rest of the body, there are pathways, but they are not directly linked to those emotional centers. If you think of this as a flight, it’s more like a flight from Los Angeles to New York with a layover in Chicago." George sees patients with this type of severe pain regularly at her Wexford, Pennsylvania, practice. She says it is not unheard of for patients with TMJ disorder to be in so much pain they cannot focus on anything else. So, now that we know that the idea of pain feeling more intense in the head isn’t "all in our head," what can be done with that information? Researchers in the study hope to use it to focus more closely on the TRPV1 and CGRP molecules and possibly even sever monosynaptic pathways that enable this type of pain to occur. In the meantime, George says there are still ways to manage the pain from conditions like TMJ disorder, such as neuromuscular dentistry and orthodontics to realign the jaw to an optimal position. "This allows for the jaw to sit comfortably and function properly, alleviating much of the pain you experience with TMJ disorder," says George. "There’s really no need to suffer through that kind of pain."

Do you already have a perfect smile, complete with Hollywood-straight teeth? Don’t assume all is well, according to dentists and orthodontists. That’s because, despite looks, even the straightest-looking teeth can often hide problems that can cause everything from a painfully bad bite to microscopic cracks and chips in the tooth enamel. This means that despite that even-looking grin, you could someday deal with painful repercussions that are costly and painful to fix. Dr. Alexandra George is a Wexford, Pennsylvania, dentist. She says that everyone - no matter how beautiful their smile is – owes it to themselves to get an orthodontic exam. "When we think of orthodontics, we most likely think of straightening out a crooked smile," says George. "It seems like a strictly cosmetic procedure to some, but orthodontics really can do so much more." For example, George says one of the most useful things orthodontics can do has nothing to do with aesthetics. Orthodontics can correct a bad bite, something that can cause everything from difficulty chewing to chips and cracks in the teeth. "If the teeth are hitting or scraping at each other when you chew, or they simply aren’t aligned evenly when your jaw is closed, you could be doing damage to your enamel," George says. Enamel is the semi-translucent outer layer of your teeth. Though it is the hardest substance in the human body, unlike bone it doesn’t grow back when damaged. That's why we need fillings when our enamel is damaged. But an aligned bite is one more way to protect that enamel. Another reason people get orthodontic treatment is for a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder. Temporomandibular joint disorder affects an estimated 10 million Americans, most of whom are women. It occurs when the temporomandibular joint becomes misaligned with the rest of the skull and can cause everything from jaw stiffness to tinnitus and head, neck and back pain. What’s more, according to George, you can have a beautiful smile and still have temporomandibular joint disorder. Thankfully, a category of orthodontics called neuromuscular orthodontics can help treat temporomandibular joint disorder by realigning the jaw to its optimal placement. George is a practitioner of this type of orthodontics and has seen success in her patients who undergo this treatment. Another reason to visit the orthodontist? Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans each night - and many of them don’t even realize it’s a problem. While some may wonder what their dentist or orthodontist can do to help with their sleep, George says many dentists and orthodontists can provide sleep orthotics that help prop the airway open as the patient sleeps. If you have never received an orthodontic evaluation, George says it's never too late to get one. As for children, dentists recommend they receive their first orthodontic exam at age 7. "It’s a good age to get a treatment plan in motion if that is necessary," says George. "It not only helps the parents prepare for the expenses related to the treatment, but more importantly the sooner the treatment begins, the better the results."

A recent study was conducted to find new ways to bring some relief to sufferers of an increasingly common joint disorder. Temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMJD for short) is a condition where the temporomandibular joint of the jaw falls out of alignment and causes debilitating symptoms such as headaches, backaches, neck pain, ringing of the ears, jaw clicking, and the inability to open and close the mouth. The condition affects predominately women and is becoming more common among young people and millennials. The study, which was published by Bel Marra Health, has revealed that patients who suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder get the most relief from applying warm compresses to areas affected by TMJD and by special exercises and physical therapy. These methods were found to be more effective than other methods of treating temporomandibular joint disorder, such as prescription or over-the-counter pain medication or even trigger point therapy - and it's got some doctors scratching their heads. Wexford, Pennsylvania, dentist and neuromuscular orthodontic practitioner Dr. Alexandra George says it's easy to understand why some TMJD treatments may not be enough. "Though TMJ disorder starts in the temporomandibular joint, the pain is not always restricted to that one area," she says. "People with TMJ disorder often experience pain that radiates throughout the head, back and neck, so treating trigger points may not be enough. A more holistic approach such as physical therapy may be more effective." In her practice, George also incorporates orthodontic appliances as part of a holistic treatment program, something the study found effective combined with other methods as well as on its own. "This is why we recommend combining neuromuscular therapy with other treatments," says George. "Especially physical therapy and warm compresses." George is also careful to point out that how a patient finds relief from temporomandibular joint disorder also depends on what type of the disorder they are suffering from in the first place. That’s because there are many causes of temporomandibular joint dysfunction, but the major issues stem from two main areas: either the muscles or the joint itself. And, according to George, some treatments simply won’t cross over. "If the pain is in the muscle itself, we can treat the muscle, but if it's in the actual temporomandibular joint, then there are different methods for that as well," she says. George cites arthroscopy as a common treatment for joint damage and neuromuscular orthodontics to aid in realignment. "It’s a case-by-case basis, but there is unfortunately no one-size-fits-all miracle treatment or cure."

Sleep. We all need it, and no matter how much we get we always seem to want more. But for some of us, sleep isn’t so easy to come by. Especially for those of us with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. That’s because sleeping in a "bad" position can exacerbate or worsen TMJ disorder symptoms. Unfortunately, sometimes a position that feels comfortable for the rest of the body is harmful to TMJ disorder. Here are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to sleep positioning with TMJ disorder. Do: Sleep on your back. With proper support, sleeping on your back alleviates pressure on your temporomandibular joint. It also keeps your head and neck in proper positioning. Get a new pillow. Your pillow will determine the positioning of your head and neck, so it's important to get one that offers proper support. Speak to Dr. George about what kind of pillow is best for you. Don’t: Sleep on your stomach or side. Both of these positions put pressure on your temporomandibular joint, which not only pushes it out of optimal alignment, but can also increase pain and sensitivity. Forget or choose not to wear any prescribed night guards or orthotic devices. They are prescribed to you for a reason and will help your treatment progress. Remember, getting a good night’s sleep is vital to treating your TMJ disorder. When you are overtired and stressed, your body is tense and your posture suffers. You may even be more likely to grind your teeth. All these things contribute to the worsening of your TMJ disorder symptoms, so be sure to make proper sleep a priority every single night. Do you need to talk to Dr. George about your temporomandibular joint disorder? Make an appointment today by calling 724-220-2347.

Picture this: You’re finally getting treatment for your TMJ disorder. You’ve been prescribed neuromuscular orthodontic treatment, but Dr. George has prescribed you not one but two different mouth guards - one to wear during the day, and one to wear at night. Why do you need two different mouth guards? You have the same mouth no matter what time of day it is, right? So what’s the big difference between day and night guards, anyway? Day Guards Day mouth guards are designed to discreetly fit over the teeth without being obvious. With a day guard you can still speak and carry on normal activities while preventing things like bruxism (teeth grinding) and positioning your jaw into place. Day guards also help prevent you from using your teeth for other bad habits like nail biting, because they must be removed to chew anything. Night Guards Night guards are equally as functional as day guards, but with less concern about being discreet. Night guards address a variety of issues such as bruxism, sleep apnea and aligning of the jaw to its optimal position. With time, neuromuscular orthodontics, including your night guard, can adjust the jaw positioning so that you may not need to wear a night guard that is bulky – or you may not need to wear a night guard at all. Do I Really Need Two Mouth Guards? Just as not everyone’s TMJ disorder is the same, not everyone will require the same TMJ disorder treatment. This includes the use of day and/or night guards. You may not want to wear two different night guards around the clock, but for best results, and for the sake of your teeth, if Dr. George prescribes two mouth guards for your treatment, trust her expertise and wear your day and night guards as prescribed. Want to learn more about mouth guards to treat TMJ disorder? Call Dr. George's office at 724-220-2347.

If you have both diabetes and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, you probably are well aware of how painful and troublesome both conditions can be on their own. Together it can often seem like the two are joining forces for evil to ruin your health and happiness. It may even seem like one condition is making the other worse - but that could just be in your head, right? Well, not so fast. The truth is, having TMJ disorder and diabetes together can actually exacerbate both conditions. So maybe it’s not in your head after all ... Inflammation As a diabetic, one word you’ve probably heard often is inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s response to fighting off infection. Inflammation in itself can be a good thing, but it can be bad if it lasts longer than necessary. Chronic inflammation can cause heart disease, arthritis, periodontal disease and diabetes, just to name a few dangerous and life-threatening conditions. Inflammation can also make the pain of TMJ disorder a whole lot worse, because the inflammation affects the joints. Diabetic Diets and TMJ Disorder One of the keys to maintaining a healthy life with diabetes is by eating healthy food. Unfortunately sometimes healthy food can make TMJ disorder symptoms worse, so be sure you are eating the right healthy foods. Try foods that are high in vitamin D to help reduce inflammation, such as salmon, leafy greens and quinoa – all of which also happen to be easy to chew, even with TMJ disorder. You may also want to try steaming vegetables so they are softer, and eating soft fruits such as bananas, citrus, berries and ripe peaches. Apples can be cut into smaller bites, made into applesauce or baked. Other great TMJD options that are suitable for diabetics are peanut butter, hummus or any other pureed or blended nut - provided it does not have any sugar added. Finally, soft cheeses like fresh mozzarella, cottage cheese and Monterey jack are all excellent sources of protein that will not break your diet. You can even try sugar-free or "light" yogurt, which has active cultures that can regulate both your gut bacteria and oral bacteria. Plus, yogurt can help regulate another inflammatory condition: inflammatory bowel disease. Remember, your oral health is closely connected to your overall health and well-being. When you take care of your mouth, your entire body benefits, but when you neglect your oral health, your entire body can just as easily suffer. To learn more about TMJ disorder, please give Dr. Alexandra George a call at 724-220-2347.

When New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton’s team missed their chance to attend the 2019 Super Bowl, fans of his rival team, the Carolina Panthers, decided to play a prank on the coach. Encouraged by a local DJ, fans tweeted suggestions of what "gifts" to send him. Suggestions ranged from pacifiers with the opposing team’s logo to penalty flags and even a gift certificate to a shoe store in an effort to mock Payton’s signature look. But one suggestion stuck out among the many, and it could be a harmful one. It happened when one Panthers fan on Twitter suggested that Payton may be suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder, more commonly known as TMJ disorder or TMJD. Temporomandibular joint disorder affects the jaw joints, causing pain; stiffness of the jaw, back and neck; headaches; ringing in the ears; and more. The tweet read: "I got so [sic] chapstick for his lips, maybe a massage for his cheeks he probably has TMJ." So, what’s wrong with this message? "Well, for starters, if someone has TMJ disorder, they should be seen by a neuromuscular orthodontist before attempting any other treatment," says Dr. Alexandra George, a neuromuscular orthodontist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. That’s because without exact knowledge of the problem, treating it yourself could make it worse. "Your orthodontist or dentist should be the one suggesting treatments, not someone on Twitter," says George "The fear is that someone reads that quote and tries something that actually makes the problem worse. Especially if the masseur doesn’t know how to treat TMJ disorders." Sound advice from an expert: Don’t get medical advice from Twitter, and if you believe you could be suffering from TMJ disorder, speak to your doctor or dentist.

Many patients suffering from the pain and stiffness that often accompanies temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder are willing to do just about anything to find relief. Unfortunately, though well worth the time investment, most conventional treatments can take months or even years to pay off, as there is no "quick-fix" treatment for the condition. That’s why researchers are taking a closer look at the condition and trying to find a way to get maximum relief in as short a time as possible. Recently, researchers in Taiwan set out to discover if platelet-rich plasma injections into the temporomandibular joint were effective at treating TMJ disorder. The researchers searched already-published reports to see if platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections made any difference in patients’ pain and also in jaw flexibility. Dr. Alexandra George did not participate in the study but was not surprised by the findings. "What they ended up discovering is that, while there was a slight reduction in pain, the PRP had no real effect on the stiffness of the jaw," she says. The good news, however, is that the injections did work better than placebo and hyaluronic acid at reducing pain. Studies have shown that hyaluronic acid worked better at improving jaw flexibility than platelet-rich plasma did. "What this shows us is that when it comes to TMJ disorder, for now, slow and steady still wins the race," says George. "It would be wonderful if there were a miraculous quick fix, but unfortunately there isn’t, and for now the best way to treat temporomandibular joint disorder is still a combination of neuromuscular orthodontics and sometimes additional physical therapy. The good news is it will pay off in the end if you stick with it."

When you have temporomandibular joint disorder, you are likely all too familiar with the pain and stiffness this joint condition causes. You probably also know that the pain caused by temporomandibular joint disorder isn’t isolated to just the temporomandibular joint. In fact, this condition can cause pain to reverberate throughout the rest of the head and upper body. It can even cause seemingly unrelated side effects such as tinnitus (ringing of the ears). If you’re wondering why your temporomandibular joint disorder is causing you so much pain and wondering what other muscles and bones could be affected by this joint misalignment, keep reading. Masseter Muscle The masseter muscle is a muscle in the face that allows you to chew much of the solid foods you consume. The masseter connects the mandibles to the cheekbones and is described as being almost parallelogram shaped. The masseter has two sections: the deep section and the superficial section. Because of the location of the masseter muscle, it is very often irritated by the movement of the temporomandibular joint when it is out of alignment. This is one of the many reasons having temporomandibular joint disorder makes chewing painful and difficult. Mandible The mandible is your lower jawbone – the bone that is most likely misaligned with the temporomandibular joint. The mandible is used in speaking and chewing and is the only movable bone in the face. The mandible is also the strongest and largest bone in the entire face. Temporomandibular Condyle The temporomandibular condyle is a ball-shaped joint that facilitates the movement of the jaw when it opens and closes. Ideally, when the jaw opens and closes, the condyle should come out of its socket and move forward. Then, when the jaw closes, the condyle should return to the socket. With temporomandibular joint disorder, this doesn’t happen. Instead, the condyle often travels too far and becomes stuck so it cannot return to the joint where it belongs. This causes the surrounding muscles to spasm and the jaw to freeze. Temporalis The temporalis is another muscle that aids in chewing. It is a fan-shaped muscle that covers the temporal bone, stemming from the temporal fossa. The temporalis is the most powerful muscle in the temporomandibular joint and is the joint that hurts when we grind our teeth or clench our jaw – behaviors that could contribute to or stem from temporomandibular joint disorder To learn more about TMJ disorder or to schedule an appointment with Dr. George, please call 724-220-2347.

Imagine if your jaw ached when you opened and closed your mouth, or sometimes you heard a telltale clicking or popping sound when you spoke or chewed food. Sometimes you might even experience stiffness in your jaw that feels like a precursor to lockjaw, or your jaw may lock up against your will and you have no way to correct it. You think you may have temporomandibular joint disorder, but without a proper diagnosis, you can’t be sure. So, you do the logical thing and schedule an appointment with a dentist. But how do you know your dentist is using the right method to diagnose the problem? And what exactly is the right method? In the old days – and in many modern-day practices - disorders such as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJD, were partially diagnosed using something called articulating paper. Articulating paper is a sheet of paper that patients bite down on to show the alignment of their bite. It was a good idea in theory, but over time dentists realized that articulating paper has some pretty big pitfalls. Namely, while you can see the alignment of the bite, you cannot see which teeth bite down first or hardest, nor can you see the dispersion of pressure on the bite. Enter the Tekscan, or T-scan, machine. The T-scan machine is the best tool available to any dentist to measure dental occlusion (where the upper and lower jaw meet in the mouth) from a bad bite (called malocclusion) or temporomandibular joint disorder. A T-scan machine measures how the teeth make contact with each other, and the force with which they do so. The T-scan machine delivers instant results via a small, hand-held device that connects to a computer. By reading the data gathered by the T-scan, Dr. George can determine whether you have malocclusion or TMJD and can better formulate an accurate treatment plan to get your teeth looking and feeling their best. When you choose a dentist who uses the T-scan machine, you are choosing to benefit your bite with the newest and best occlusal measurement technology available today. To schedule your own T-scan, please call Dr. George’s office at 724-220-2347.

Spring. It’s a time of renewal and hope. The snow melts, the flowers bloom and the summer birds return to their nests. We humans celebrate by swapping our dark, heavy coats for pastels and jackets, and if we’re really motivated, we deep clean the house. But why should our homes get all the love? What about our smiles? That’s right – spring is the perfect time to spring clean our smiles, too. Here are some great ways to make your smile beautiful this spring! Try Something New With the recent introduction of toothpaste tablets, designer flavored dental flosses and toothpastes, and xylitol gum, now is the perfect time to try a new oral health product to add some excitement to your care routine. Get (a) CleaningThe fastest and easiest way to get a spring-clean mouth is to schedule your regular oral health exam and cleaning. There’s no better feeling than a truly clean mouth with two rows of sparkly-clean teeth, to boot. Your exam is also your opportunity to diagnose any oral health issues and "clean house" in your mouth. Show Your Colors With winter darks being packed away and spring brights coming back out of hibernation, why not pick a few colors that will help make your smile bright? Blue or blue undertones help neutralize yellow and make your teeth look whiter. That goes for shirts, decorative scarves and, yes, even lipstick. Tackle Your Issues Suffering from jaw pain or temporomandibular joint disorder? Spring is the perfect time to get in control of your oral health and begin treating these ailments before the official kickoff of vacation season this summer. Imagine enjoying your favorite foods again this summer instead of missing out another season due to the pain. Start a Construction Program Spring is the perfect time to begin your full-mouth reconstruction journey. Tax refunds are here, the holidays are over, and the kids are finishing up with school. Now is the time to focus on yourself and make the improvements to your health and appearance you’ve been putting off while helping everybody else. Carve out a little you time and speak to Dr. George about getting new dental implants, partials, bridges, bonding or veneers and spring forward to a more beautiful smile. To schedule an oral health spring cleaning, give Dr. George’s office a call at 724-220-2347.

A study published in the March 2019 edition of Pain: The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain has made some remarkable discoveries that could shine a brighter light on temporomandibular joint disorder and why it affects more women than men. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a painful medical condition that occurs when the temporomandibular joint gets out of alignment. It can cause everything from a popping and clicking jaw to tinnitus, teeth grinding (or bruxism), headaches, upper-body aches and even the inability to open or close the mouth. The article studied 999 cases and a control group of 2,031 persons without temporomandibular joint disorder from a previously conducted study, the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study. Researchers examined case data for patients to better understand if there is a genetic component contributing to who gets temporomandibular joint disorder and who does not. The study yielded some surprising answers. "They found that there definitely is some gender-based reasoning why more women suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder than men," says Wexford, Pennsylvania, neuromuscular orthodontic practitioner Dr. Alexandra George. George specializes in treating patients with temporomandibular joint disorder and says the condition is much more common in women. George is right: Statistically speaking, an estimated 90 percent of temporomandibular joint disorder sufferers are women in their childbearing years - a phenomena that has left many scratching their heads. "There have been many theories as to why women are so much more frequently affected by temporomandibular joint disorder," says George. "Everything from women just report it more to women lead more stressful lives. These could still all be contributing factors." But there could be something else at play, too. According to the Pain study, some men may have a genetic predisposition to high pain tolerance and may simply not notice they have temporomandibular joint disorder in the first place. Researchers were able to locate what they call a single nucleotide polymorphism, located on chromosome 3 in men with temporomandibular joint disorder. The men were found to have what is known as a trait locus with decreased expression on a muscle near their temporomandibular joint. This is known as a MRAS expression, and it affects the resiliency to chronic pain in men. Thus, the more men who have this MRAS expression, the fewer who would notice the pain associated with temporomandibular joint disorder. It’s fascinating science that answers a long-held mystery - and a breakthrough in temporomandibular joint disorder research to boot.

If you’re under treatment for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, you may have been prescribed occlusal splint therapy. The name sounds complicated and maybe even a little scary, but occlusal splint therapy isn’t as mysterious as it seems. In fact, it’s used to treat a multitude of oral health problems. What Is an Occlusal Splint? An occlusal splint goes by many names, but you may know it by its most common name: a bite guard. Generally, occlusal splints are used to keep the teeth in line and protect them from bruxism (teeth grinding), but they can be used to treat many different conditions. Occlusal splints are made at your dentist’s office and are custom-fit to your individual mouth, so you’re not stuck with an awkward and uncomfortable "boil-and-bite" type of bite guard you can buy over the counter. Reasons for Occlusal Splints There are actually many different reasons for a dentist or neuromuscular dentists to prescribe an occlusal splint. They can be used to treat:

This month, as you’re celebrating all things love, don’t forget to treat your mouth to some extra TLC, too. One of the hardest-working parts of your body, your mouth does a lot for you - doesn’t it deserve some love, too?

If you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, you may notice that TMJ disorder doesn’t always affect just your temporomandibular joints - it can reverberate and cause problems throughout the upper body. One such problem is a condition called tinnitus, which is defined as a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears.

If recent reports are to be believed, we can expect a boom in sales for orthotic devices to treat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. These orthotic devices fit into the mouth to help reposition the bite and realign the temporomandibular joint, which is the joint responsible for helping to open and close the mouth.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a painful joint condition that affects an estimated 10 million people in America, but many people don’t even know what it is, let alone realize they have the condition. As a result, it can be difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. This translates to patients continuing behaviors that could make the condition much worse, without them even realizing it.