There are many reasons we experience pain throughout the body. Some, like injuries, are worth worrying about; others, like the occasional headache, not so much. But when it comes to your mouth, even a little pain can be a big concern. Sometimes it’s hard to tell why you’re feeling what you’re feeling, especially when it's inside your mouth. If you’re experiencing tooth or jaw pain, it could be for many reasons, none of them clear to the naked eye. If you have mouth pain but can’t seem to figure out exactly what hurts or why, here’s what you should know. Cavities Cavities cause pain that originates from one tooth (unless you have more than one cavity). Sometimes you can see cavities on the teeth, but other times it's not easy or possible to do so without tools or a trained eye. If you are experiencing isolated pain that includes aching, throbbing, sensitivity to hot or cold, swollen or tender gums around the affected tooth, and even a foul odor coming from the tooth, see Dr. George right away. Gum Disease Gum disease, or periodontitis, will often display itself as swelling, tenderness and pain in the gums. Your gums may be prone to bleeding when you brush or floss, and you may have bad breath. Early-stage gum disease or gingivitis may have no pain at all, but gums may still be red and swollen and bleed easily during routine oral health care. Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ dysfunction, occurs when the temporomandibular joint of the jaw becomes misaligned from the rest of the jaw. This can result in jaw pain, jaw tightness, the inability to open and close the mouth, headaches, neck pain, back aches, GERD, and tinnitus. With such a wide variety of symptoms, it can be hard to tell if you really have TMJ dysfunction or not, but the good news is that Dr. George can! If you are experiencing any symptoms mentioned above, whether they be in your teeth, gums, jaw or elsewhere in the body that may be related to the mouth, such as the head and neck, give Dr. George’s office a call at 724-220-2347.

When you have temporomandibular joint dysfunction, the pain in your jaw and upper body is bad enough. From your jaw to your back, the pain from TMJ dysfunction often radiates throughout, even to places that don’t seem like they’d be affected by your temporomandibular joints. One such place was recently revealed in a new study conducted by the Dental College of Georgia in Augusta and the Fourth Military Medical University in Xiang, China. In the study, the research teams discovered that people with TMJ dysfunction are at a higher risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, and those with GERD are at a higher risk of developing TMJ dysfunction! Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition of the lower esophageal sphincter that causes acid indigestion and heartburn, but if you look at a diagram of the human body, isn’t really located near the temporomandibular joint. So how could these two conditions be related or influencing each other? Researchers don’t really know. There are theories, though. One theory is that the stress and pain of having TMJ dysfunction is causing the acid indigestion and heartburn associated with GERD. Another theory is that the GERD pain is causing the temporomandibular joint dysfunction by causing the affected person to clench their jaw in pain. While both theories have merit, they’re still just theories, and as such don’t do much to help patients. But there is good news. There are mutually beneficial ways to treat both of these potentially co-morbid conditions. First, if you think you may have GERD, speak to a gastroenterologist about treating this condition either with prescription or over-the-counter medication. There may also be dietary changes you can make to lessen your GERD symptoms such as avoiding citrus, sodas, alcohol, greasy or fried foods, and spicy foods. If you have temporomandibular joint dysfunction, there are also steps you can take to lessen symptoms, such as physical therapy, warm compresses, massage and neuromuscular orthodontics. Neuromuscular orthodontics can help reposition the jaw so that the temporomandibular joint is better aligned, reducing pain and hopefully GERD symptoms, too. To learn more about temporomandibular joint dysfunction and neuromuscular orthodontics, please contact Dr. George at 724-220-2347.

The jaw is an important part of the body. It allows us to open and close our mouths to chew, speak and even breathe. Naturally, when the jaw is injured, it takes a toll on our quality of life, so avoiding or eliminating injury to the jaw is very important. Sometimes we have no control over the shape our jaw is in, like when conditions like temporomandibular joint dysfunction are present. But that doesn’t mean we are powerless to stop the pain and prevent future damage. Whether you have temporomandibular joint dysfunction or you just want to keep your jaw in great shape, here are some things you can do to minimize pain, reduce injury and improve flexibility in the jaw. Don’t Use Your Jaw for Support Bored? Tired? It's easy to prop your head up by resting your chin in your hands when you’re feeling lethargic, but try to avoid this behavior, as it pushes the jaw up and can cause pain or worsen misalignment. The same goes for other unnatural movements of the jaw, so use your hand to hold your phone (don’t rest it between your chin and shoulder) and if you happen to play an instrument like the violin, take a break if you are experiencing temporomandibular joint pain while you play. Do Jaw Stretches Yes, you can stretch your jaw, and, yes, it can help keep muscles relaxed. There are several jaw exercises you can do with TMJ dysfunction. If you are interested in learning how to do these exercises, please speak to Dr. George for proper instruction. Don’t start a jaw exercise regimen on your own. Watch What You Eat Very crunchy or very chewy foods will sometimes worsen TMJ dysfunction pain, but eating these foods should be fine if your jaw is healthy. The important part here is to know your own body. If you are experiencing TMJ dysfunction pain, skip the gum and the hard pretzels and stick to softer, easier-to-chew foods that won’t work your jaw so much. Get Evaluated If your jaw is bothering you, it's time to be seen by Dr. George. It could be nothing, or it could be something more serious like temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Thankfully there are treatment options that can help you live life pain free. To schedule an appointment, please call 724-220-2347.

A recent study has linked the condition eustachian tube dysfunction with another painful condition, temporomandibular joint disorder. The study found that among 21 respondents who filled out the ETDQ-7 (eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire), temporomandibular joint disorder was "highly prevalent" in the patients with eustachian tube dysfunction. The eustachian tube is a small tube that connects the ear to the throat. The eustacian tubes open and close to relieve pressure on your inner ear when you chew, yawn or sneeze, preventing the ears from filling with fluid or air. Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong in your eustachian tubes and they don’t do their job correctly, or even at all. This is known as eustachian tube dysfunction, or ETD. Eustachian tube dysfunction frequently occurs during illness, when the tubes become swollen and fill with fluid or mucus. Patients experiencing ETD may feel as though their ears are blocked, and sound may seem distant or muffled. Eustachian tube dysfunction is said to be more prevalent in smokers, persons who are obese, and young children, but in the newest study, the disorder has been linked to temporomandibular joint disorder, too. Dr. Alexandra George practices neuromuscular orthodontics in her Wexford, Pennsylvania, dental clinic. She says the link between ETD and temporomandibular joint disorder is not surprising at all. "Because the temporomandibular joint is so close to the ears, it isn’t surprising that it could irritate the eustachian tubes," she says. According to George, ETD isn’t the only condition of the ears that temporomandibular joint disorder patients frequently suffer from, either. "Many patients with temporomandibular joint disorder also suffer from a condition called tinnitus, which also occurs in the inner ear," George says. Tinnitus is characterized by a constant ringing in the ears that can last for months on end. It is believed to be caused by temporomandibular joint disorder because of the temporomandibular joint’s proximity to the ear canal. "Tinnitus occurs when the pressure from the temporomandibular joint puts pressure on the ear nerves and causes them to fall out of alignment. Then you get the ringing, buzzing or hissing noises in your ears," George says. George says while it is not yet known how to correct the connection between the eustachian tubes and temporomandibular joint disorder, it could be a useful diagnostic tool for either condition. "If a patient is suffering from blocked ears, it could start a conversation about their jaw and possibly lead to a treatment that takes care of both problems," she says. "The same can be said for patients complaining of temporomandibular joint pain. Both can be useful for screening purposes." If you find your ears are constantly blocked without the presence of illness, obesity or smoking, speak to your doctor or dentist to rule out ETD or temporomandibular joint disorder, George says.

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.

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.

Do you or a loved one suffer from the debilitating joint condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMJ disorder for short)? Do you have young children with either crooked adult teeth or seemingly straight baby teeth? It may be time for an orthodontic evaluation. While it may seem a tad premature to be worrying about realigning the teeth of a child, dentists and orthodontists recommend that children be evaluated for orthodontics as young as age 7. This is because at age 7, the bones of the roof of the mouth are still not completely fused together, making it much easier to treat common orthodontic problems and ward off a potential pain: temporomandibular joint disorder. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition of the temporomandibular joint wherein a misaligned bite stemming from the jawbone or surrounding muscles can cause severe pain. It is categorized by a clicking or popping sound while opening and closing the jaw; jaw pain and stiffness; tinnitus; muscle aches in the back, neck and face; and even headaches. But getting to the root cause of TMJ disorder is not so simple. While we don’t know for sure if temporomandibular joint disorder is genetic, we do know there are some genetic predispositions to the condition. Thus, if a parent or someone in the family has TMJ disorder, others in the family – including children - may also be genetically predisposed, even if they currently exhibit no signs of the condition. But helping to diagnose TMJ disorder is not all an early orthodontic evaluation can do for your child. Orthodontic visits can help predict the growth pattern of adult teeth and either begin a treatment plan or develop a future treatment plan for your child. This enables you to get a head start on warding off any orthodontic trouble, and it may even make your child’s orthodontic treatment less painful and much shorter than it might be at a more advanced age - namely after the jawbones fuse around age 9. Remember, orthodontic intervention can prevent more than just cosmetic issues like crooked teeth. It can prevent problems like TMJ disorder, sleep apnea, snoring and more. To schedule an orthodontic evaluation for your child, call Dr. George’s office at 724-220-2347.

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.

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.

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.

It’s a widely known fact that sometimes when our bodies ache, stretching can go a long way toward reducing pain naturally. That’s why so many people find relief using things like physical therapy and yoga. But when your temporomandibular joint starts hurting, there’s not exactly a yoga class for that - but there are some exercises you can try at home to help strengthen the temporomandibular joint and lessen the pain of TMJ disorder.