​ The temporomandibular joints, known commonly as the TMJs, act as a hinge between the skull and jawbone. When the joint becomes damaged, the patient can experience pain. The pain is located in the muscle and the jaw joint itself, leading to facial discomfort, headaches, popping in the ear and other related issues. Treatments can range from over-th...

​ Do you grind your teeth? Did you know that you even if you answered no to this question, you may be grinding them while you're sleeping and not even know it.The National Sleep Foundation has revealed that about 8 percent of adults grind their teeth during sleep. This condition is also known as jaw clenching, or bruxism in the medical world. While...

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.

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."

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."

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.

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.

If you are one of the estimated 10 million Americans suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder), you’ll likely be thrilled to learn that all you need to ease your TMJ disorder pain is a little R&R (rest and relaxation) – or at least that’s what a recent headline implied. But unfortunately for many TMJ disorder sufferers, rest and relaxation isn’t only impractical, but also downright ineffective. So, why would a headline imply this? And what really helps to alleviate TMJ disorder pain?Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition that occurs when the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of the jaw is misaligned, causing dysfunction and serious pain in areas such as the jaw, head, neck, shoulders and back. It can even cause tinnitus (ear ringing), migraine headaches, bruxism (teeth grinding), and the inability to open and close the jaw. Dr. Alexandra George is a Wexford, Pennsylvania, dentist who treats patients with temporomandibular joint disorder. She says there are many things patients can do to alleviate symptoms of the condition, but that there is no "one size fits all" treatment that works for everyone."Temporomandibular joint disorders can be as diverse to treat as the patients who have them, because TMJ disorder can have many causes and many effects," George says.For example, one patient may have a disorder exacerbated by teeth grinding that also causes jaw pain and neck pain. Subsequently, that patient may find relief with a mouth guard that prevents teeth grinding, while another patient who does not grind her teeth may suffer from migraines and jaw stiffness but may not require a mouth guard. The combination of symptoms and causes make TMJ disorders a unique and painful puzzle for sufferers to figure out - and that’s exactly why sensational headlines like the one claiming that "relaxation" and "rest" can "ease TMJ pain" are so misleading."Relaxation and rest of the jaw can certainly help ease jaw pain in some situations," says George. "But the headline makes it seem like you can get relief by simply taking a nap or a vacation, which is not very likely."The good news is, according to George, though relief from TMJD may be a bit more difficult to obtain than simply sleeping it off, there are solutions that can provide relief, such as neuromuscular dentistry, a special form of dentistry designed to realign the jaw and balance the bite."If you think you have TMJ disorder, speak to your dentist," she says. "Don’t rely on a news article to diagnose or offer do-it-yourself treatment options. You could potentially make your TMJ disorder worse."

Studies have shown that if you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, leading a stressful life can make your symptoms a lot worse. Unfortunately for most of us, stress is a way of life - especially for women in their childbearing years. TMJ disorder seems to affect a disproportionate number of young women in their childbearing years, with an estimated 90 percent of TMJ disorder sufferers falling into this gender and age group. So, what’s a girl to do to get relief from stress - and TMJ disorder - when you barely get a minute to yourself?

When pop musician Lady Gaga was forced to back out of her appearance at Brazil’s Rock in Rio concert last year due to what she described as "severe pain," her admission may have done more to raise awareness for the condition fibromyalgia than any advertising campaign could have hoped to do.

Do you suffer from unexplained headaches, back aches or neck pain? Do you grind your teeth, or hear a clicking or popping sound when you speak, chew or open and close your mouth? Believe it or not, these are all signs of a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, and even if your joint itself doesn’t hurt, you could still be affected.

Full-mouth reconstruction: it’s a mouthful, all right. Not only is it a lot to say, but it can also be a long, multi-stage procedure. The good news is, the benefits certainly outweigh the time and expense you invest into it. That’s because in addition to improving your smile, full-mouth reconstruction can improve a lot of other areas too. If you think full-mouth reconstruction is purely cosmetic, think again. Here are some significant ways that full-mouth reconstruction can improve your life.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMD) affects approximately 10 million Americans, but treating the disorder can often be a challenge. That’s because many people don’t even realize they have TMD in the first place. Temporomandibular joint disorder occurs in the jaw and affects the TMJ, jaw bones and many of the connective muscles. Symptoms of TMD can include headaches, jaw pain, jaw clicking, teeth grinding, neck pain, difficulty chewing, difficulty speaking and difficulty opening and closing the mouth. But many TMD sufferers never realize they have the condition, because the symptoms come and go, and some, like teeth grinding and jaw clicking, can happen without you even realizing it.

When you have a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), simple things like eating can be extremely difficult. That’s because the jaw pain and stiffness that often goes hand in hand with a TMD can make chewing anything from painful to nearly impossible. Thankfully, there are some foods that are easier on the temporomandibular joint than others. If you suffer from TMD pain, check out this list of TMD-safe (and not-so-safe) foods.

If you’re one of the 28 million Americans who suffer from debilitating headaches known as migraines, you are most likely familiar with how agonizing they can be. But as if the pain, nausea, light sensitivity and dizziness that frequently accompany migraine headaches wasn’t enough, some migraine sufferers may be in for more bad news. That’s because, according to a recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), people who get migraine headaches are three times more likely to suffer from another painful disorder known as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD for short.