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.

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.

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.

A man in Pune, India, recently made headlines for an oral surgery he received at the MA Rangoonwala College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre. But this wasn’t your typical oral surgery. The man, who is only 39 years old, had been unable to open and close his mouth for 38 years due to an injury he received as a 1-year-old. As a result, he developed a condition called temporomandibular joint ankylosis, a very rare disorder where the bones in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) fuse to the skull with fibrous, bony tissue, making it nearly impossible to open and close the mouth.

A woman in Charleston, West Virginia, is garnering national attention after suing a snack-food brand when she broke her tooth on a safety pin found in one of the company's products. The woman alleges that her implanted crown broke when she bit into the safety pin while snacking and watching television, and that she subsequently suffered loss of wages, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and temporomandibular joint disorder.

A research study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association details new insights into the painful condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder. The study outlines two rounds of research conducted by a team of chiropractic specialists, headed by James W. DeVocht, DC, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research in Davenport, Iowa. The initial research was conducted in 2003 using nine volunteer patients. In this study, DeVocht and his team attempted to treat TMJ disorder with chiropractic adjustment.

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

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

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

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

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

When 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.