​ The American Association of Orthodontists reports that about 5 million Americans - both children and adults - are undergoing some form of orthodontic care. About 36 percent of these people are adults over 18 years of age. For most people, the word "orthodontist" often evokes thoughts of traditional metal-and-wire bracket braces. What many don't r...

If you've never heard of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, you're not alone. This extremely rare connective tissue disorder affects just one in 5,000 people around the world. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or EDS, is described as a series of 13 connective tissue disorders that fall under one umbrella. Because EDS affects the body's collagen, people with EDS general...

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.

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."

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."

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.

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.

You may have heard of the children's game Crocodile Dentist. But would you let an actual crocodile treat your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder? For most people the answer to that would be a resounding "no." But that could all change if an experimental treatment from Australia is successful.

An assistant professor at the Tipton, Georgia-based Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College recently won a $2,700 grant to study temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder for short. The assistant professor, Leslie Pryor-McIntosh, won the Gail Dillard Faculty Enrichment Fund award for her research paper, "You Are What You Eat: The Effects of Chewing on Bone Health in the Temporomandibular Joint."

Patients with the painful chronic muscular disorder fibromyalgia may soon get some relief if the findings of a new study are put to good use. Fibromyalgia is categorized by pain and tenderness in the body; the condition can even appear in conjunction with secondary conditions such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome and migraine headaches.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For veterans of the armed forces, adjusting to life post-service or post-tour can be filled with unique challenges. Especially if that veteran must also deal with the aftermath of combat injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or both. In addition to primary injuries, many veterans also face what is known as a comorbid pain condition - that is, a chronic condition that occurs in tandem with another chronic condition.

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?

If you’ve never heard of the connective tissue disorder systemic sclerosis before, you’re not alone. That’s because fewer than 5,000 cases of the extremely rare autoimmune disease - for which there is no cure - are diagnosed each year. But while systemic sclerosis isn’t exactly a household name, the low number of cases should never underscore the severity of this debilitating and sometimes fatal illness.

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.