Patients with osteoarthritis who use a glucosamine supplement to treat their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder naturally may be in for a disappointment. In a new study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, patients who used glucosamine supplements as an all-natural way to treat TMJ pain experienced no greater pain relief than those who took ibuprofen to treat the same symptoms.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a medical condition wherein the temporomandibular joint of the jaw becomes misaligned and causes pain throughout the face, head, neck and even the back. Patients with the disorder often have trouble being diagnosed because of the range of symptoms – which, in addition to the aforementioned pain, can include tinnitus, clicking or popping of the jaw, teeth grinding (bruxism), migraine headaches, and muscle aches. But one symptom in particular is much more obviously related to TMJ disorder - and a lot harder to deal with.

We all have bad habits - whether you are a perpetual knuckle-cracker, a hair-twirler or a smoker, some habits are worse for you (and harder to stop) than others. But one habit in particular – nail-biting – could be a lot worse for you than you realize. Here’s why you should stop nail-biting right now for the health of your smile.

When you have temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder), it can sometimes feel like everything hurts. From your jaw to your ears, teeth, head, neck and even back and shoulders, pain from TMJ disorder can radiate throughout your upper body and disrupt your whole life. But how can you get relief in your back if the pain is coming from your jaw? Believe it or not, studies have shown that while the pain you may be feeling in your back is directly connected to your jaw, there may be more to it than that – it could be your posture!

You already know that maintaining a healthy body weight is key to living a long, active life, and that losing weight can help prevent myriad illnesses, from diabetes to heart disease to cancer. But what you may not realize is that maintaining a healthy weight can also help ease the symptoms of another painful condition that affects millions of people each year: temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJD.

A recent article in an Irish newspaper is causing quite a stir here in the United States for claiming that a new form of ear insert can alleviate some of the symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. The catch: It’s from right here in America, and most people here have never heard of it. It’s a custom-fit device called Cerezen, and it sits just inside the ear canal like a hearing aid might. But instead of helping you hear, Cerezen claims to help stop bruxism (also known as teeth grinding) and alleviate pain-causing pressure on the muscles and joints affected by TMJ disorder.

If you’ve ever been told you have a "bad bite," chances are you can see for yourself that your teeth are out of alignment. From a strictly cosmetic standpoint, a bad bite doesn’t usually look so great, and most people who have bad bites have probably considered correcting them with braces or other orthodontics. But a bad bite can be far more serious than simply having crooked teeth. A bad bite can not only cause uneven wear on the teeth, but it can also cause damage to the teeth, jaw soreness, bruxism (or teeth grinding) and even temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder).

For the nearly 25 percent of people around the globe who suffer from the debilitating disorder known as temporomandibular jaw disorder, or TMD, finding relief can become an all-consuming effort. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition of the temporomandibular joint of the jaw, which causes jaw pain, stiffness, difficulty speaking and chewing, tinnitus, neck and back pain, and even migraine headaches.

Having a surgical procedure is stressful for anyone, but when you have temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, surgical procedures can be extra problematic, especially when your jaw won’t open wide enough to accommodate a breathing tube. But a clinical trial at the Houston-based Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center hopes to change that.

Are you a fan of HGTV shows like Fixer Upper, where experts show average Americans just how easy it is to "do it yourself," or DIY, home renovations? Well, it may be easy to install your own tile backsplash or create the perfect accent wall, but there are some things that really are best left to the experts. One of those things is the treatment of your temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. Here’s why.A quick Google search for at-home TMD treatments can easily yield dozens of results. At-home, one-size-fits-all orthotics can be purchased online and at the pharmacy for as little as $15. When you compare that to the cost of a complete neuromuscular dentistry treatment and possible full-mouth reconstruction, it seems like you’re getting an amazing deal. But the truth isn’t always what it seems.Save Your Money - Or Your SmileFifteen bucks to treat a TMD seems like a bargain until you realize that A) it won’t work, and B) it will probably end up making your TMD worse. So not only are you out the $15, but you still must also treat your TMD professionally, and it may even end up costing you more money depending on how much damage the OTC treatment caused.One Size Doesn’t Fit AllHow many times have you seen something that claims to be "one size fits all" only to buy it and find that it most certainly doesn’t? That’s because we’re all built differently - and even the more modern "one size fits most" can be misleading with so many variations in body types.And just like those drug store sunglasses that don’t quite sit properly on your nose or that sun hat you bought that constantly falls in your eyes, contrary to what these orthotic manufacturers would like you to believe, their "one-size-fits-all" approach to TMD treatment can’t work, either.That’s because there is no "one size fits all" solution to TMD. For starters, everyone’s mouth is shaped differently. Our jaws, teeth, bite and temporomandibular joints are all different - and so are our specific problems. Even with neuromuscular dentistry, the same treatment plan that helped your brother may not do anything for you – or it might make your TMD worse.But What About Boil and Bite?A lot of people think they can get professional results from a "boil and bite" aligner. These mouth guards are roughly the same shape as your jaw, but you can customize them further by boiling them and then biting into the softened material inside. This creates a perfect fit to your teeth - and only your teeth. In theory, this sounds like a great idea, but these aligners are really designed for athletes who must protect their teeth during a sport or strenuous physical activity. And while these OTC aligners are somewhat customized, treating a TMD is about more than just protecting your teeth.Aside from a boil and bite aligner not accounting for every piece of what is often a multi-faceted problem, these aligners also have the potential to make TMDs worse. That’s because if they don’t account for individual issues within the TMD, they could actually push your jaw further out of alignment. Remember that part about one size not fitting all? Well, if your jaw needs to move slightly forward and your best friend’s needs to move a little backward, if you use the same OTC aligner that pushes your jaw forward, her jaw will get worse and yours might get worse too if it's pushed too far or not forward enough. Worse yet, you could force your bite out of alignment in such a way that requires orthodontic correction further down the road!The Neuromuscular Dentistry DifferenceSo, what is the solution? Neuromuscular dentistry is the most effective way to treat TMDs, often to the point of completely eliminating your symptoms. We do this by treating not just one area of the mouth, such as the bite or the jaw, but every area affected by the TMD, so that all the pieces of the mouth and jaw work together harmoniously. This not only corrects every problem caused by or causing the TMD pain, but it also helps ensure that the TMD stays away permanentlyNo TMD treatment plan is identical, but they all work toward the same goal: getting rid of your TMD pain. If you’re interested in learning more about how neuromuscular dentistry can help your TMD, please give Dr. Alexandra George’s office a call at 724-934-3422 and schedule a consultation.

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.