TMD Treatment Alternative TMJ & Bruxism Solution

TMD or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is an acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ; the joint connecting the lower jaw to the skull). The disorder and resultant dysfunction results in significant pain and impairment for many.

Bruxism

Teeth grinding or bruxism is a problem that afflicts a large percentage of Americans. Aggravated by stress, this condition frequently runs in families. People that clench their teeth during the day or at night mostly do so without knowing that they are doing it – they can’t help themselves. Those that only grind at night only know that they are doing it if they wake up with jaw soreness or if their dentist notices that they are wearing down their teeth.

Bruxism and TMD can result in headaches, earaches, facial pain, chipped teeth and chewed tissue on the inside of the mouth. Chronic grinding will often lead to a hypertrophied masseter muscle – the main muscle that is used for chewing. This is a muscle that is located at the angle of the jaw. Grinding builds this muscle and makes it stronger, like lifting weights does for the biceps. The stronger the muscle gets, the more damage clenching causes to the teeth. Headaches and facial pain also tend to get worse with time.

Traditional TMD & Bruxism Treatment

Traditionally, treatment of teeth grinding has been led by dentists. Since malocclusion or abnormal teeth alignment is known to make bruxism worse, one of the first principles of treatment is to optimize the bite. Another common treatment is the use of bite blocks to keep teeth from coming together at night. Unfortunately, bite blocks do not help clenching during the day, and frequently do not work at night because people spit them out due to discomfort.

Botox Injections Give Instant Relief

For the past two years, Dr. Cardona has been using Botox to treat chronic teeth grinding. Not only are his patients experiencing instant relief from jaw pain, tension and headaches, but they are seeing a dramatic change in the way that their face looks. The square, severe appearance of their lower face softens into a more normal and esthetically pleasing jaw line.

Botox would seem to be a very logical approach to the treatment of bruxsim. It can be injected precisely into the sorest part of the muscle,weakening the most spastic part of the very large masseter muscle without affecting the ability to chew. Breaking the spasm of muscle often only requires stopping the origin or focal area of contraction and not the whole muscle. Even with only partial relief of muscle tension,pain is less and less clenching occurs.

Three to five injections are done through the outer skin into the underlying masseter or temporalis muscle. It usually takes about 25 to 30 units per affected side as a starting dose.It may eventually take a higher dose to get a more complete relief but his starting dose should at least get some relief.Like all Botox injections, it takes about a week to see its effect, so patients have to be patient.

Call our office today for you next appointment.

(310) 322-1814

Back to school

It is that time of year again when students of all ages are going back to school.On Tuesday, August 28th it was Center Street school who shined for the new year with it's great teachers, staff and students. My daughter had a list of items to bring with her the first day almost a page long.It is important to remember that in addition to the recommended supplies, a healthy mouth is also a necessity.

A dental examination is just as important as your kids immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of your kids back-to-school preparations. Dental pain or disease can lead to difficulty in eating,speaking,playing and learning as well as millions of hours of missed class

Students' back-to-school checklist:

1. Regular clinical and radio graphic dental examinations to diagnose,treat and/or prevent dental problems are always important. In school guardians and teachers may not always realize threes a dental problem, so a regular checkup before school is especially important. Your dentist may suggest fluoride treatments or sealants to prevent decay and can diagnose and great dental problems such as decay to save your child discomfort and lost attendance.
2. A regular hygiene program including brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing. Visit the dental care section when you're ot shopping for school supplies. If parents buy several toothbrushes they could have their child change to a new one every six months or so, or after an illness. If it's hard to remember when to change a brush, you could try to change it every time report cards ocoe out. Ask your dentist for a recommendion on how often to change toothbrushes and other hygiene tips.
3. A tooth healthy diet plan. Include portable healthy lunch  items and snacks in you child's lunch, including grains, milk,cheese,raw vegetables, yogurt or fruit. If your child eats in the school cafeteria, review healthy, balanced food choices with him/her before the first day of school. It is always a good idea to reduce sugary foods and soft drinks as excessive sugar can not only cause dental decay,but is also unhealthy for a young person's overall health.
4. Wearing a properly fitted mouth guard while participating in organized sports,PE classes or playground activities.

Good luck to the all the kids in the El Segundo School district who went back to school this week.Remember if you take care of your teeth now, they will return the favor for a lifetime!

Delaying Dental Treatment

Delaying Dental Treatment

Modern health care has been spectacular in the last 100 years. Most antibiotics were not available until around WW11. This fact sometimes lulls us into a false sense of security that whatever happens we are just a “pill” away from a cure.

Dr. Cardona believes that pain or discomfort is absolute sign that some pathology or disease is going on. This is true for the vast majority of life’s illnesses except for the “silent illnesses”. But taking care of your dental treatment when first diagnosed can prevent this from occurring.

There are several reason patients delay their dental treatment.

. Severe dental anxiety

. Financial problems

. Time issues… their life is just too busy

. It does not bother me…it does not hurt

. Other

Currently, we are treating dental phobic whose dental treatment went form couple thousand dollars to more than 15-20 thousand.

Severe Dental Anxiety patients we offer the following:

. General Anesthesia

. I.V. Sedation in the dental office with a dental anesthesiologist

.Oral pre-medication (xanax)

.Local anesthesia

Financial options and solutions

Dr. Silvia Cardona provides financial options including Care Credit and Spring stone to help facilitate dental treatment acceptance, making treatment more affordable on a monthly basis.

Time issues

Our office is open Tuesday thru Friday 8:30 am to 6PM.

In addition our office block books to maximize your treatment in the available time.

It does not hurt…it does not bother me.

Some patients find themselves not booking or delaying treatment simply because it does not hurt. The problem is we can’t accurately identify those who will break down rapidly versus those who are on a gradual decline. Certainly, home care (brushing and flossing) along with a proper diet helps tremendously. For those with rapid decline…there are protocols that mitigate the response but we cannot predict to what level.

Catching a problem early is much easier to deal with than waiting for the problem to occur. Please call our office today to schedule your appointment.

310 322-1814

Hey Everyone we are running a contest at the office to grow our social media base.  Like our page on Facebook and if you are one of the first 100 people to do so you'll be entered into win a FREE teeth whiting session with Dr. Cardona!

All you have to do is click the link below and it will take you right to our page.

Dr. Cardona's Facebook Page

How Often Should I see My Hygienist????

   

Three, four, six or twelve month intervals are based on many factors, but the most important factor to take into consideration is your periodontal condition. The absence or presence of a periodontal disease determines how often you should see your hygienist. 

In a normal and healthy mouth a procedure called  oral prophylaxis is preformed. This is the common dental visit  where the hygienist removes plaque and tartar from your teeth to prevent periodontal diseases.  (Most insurance companies will pay for two of these cleaning per year).

In a periodontally involved mouth a procedure called Periodontal Recall is done.  This consists of periodontal scaling, root planning and polishing.  This procedure is done on the tooth crown under the gum line.  This procedure is recommended at intervals of 3 to 4 months.

Periodontal maintenance is a periodontal treatment, not a preventative treatment.  Its purpose is to prevent the return of a worse condition.  (Most insurance companies will pay for about 80% of this periodical procedure 3 to 4 times a year).