N 7 > aw YOUR DENTIST tt NSF Taking The Bite Out Of Headaches (NAPSA)—It seems visiting a dentist could be a good career move. A study from Johns Hopkins University showed that Americans ~ y ty oy) . . — IN SS AA RA. \\ lose the equivalent of about four workdays annually to headaches. Now experts say much of that pain—and missed work—might be related to a jaw condition called temporomandibular Yaw joint) disorder (commonly known as TMD or TMJ) and could be treated by a dental specialist known as a neuromusculardentist. “When yourbite’s not right, it can lead to chronic pain in the same way that flexing your arm for a second is comfortable but flexing it for an hour hurts,” explains Dr. Bill Dickerson, founder of LVI Global, a postgraduate dental training facility. Neuromuscular dentists use a variety of techniques to treat TMD, including relaxing the jaw and findingits best position. From there, a jaw-repositioning appli- ance (similar to the mouth guard used by athletes) is used to tem- porarily maintain that position until patients can be fitted with permanent crowns and veneers. People often report that pain they have endured for many years lessens or goes away entirely a matter of days after visiting a neuromuscular dentist, says Dr. Dickerson. In addition to being linked to headaches, TMD can lead to tooth grinding, breathing problems and A trip to the dentist could help relieve some people’s headaches. sleep disorders as well as facial pain, neck, shoulder and back pain, clicking or popping in the jaw and limited jaw movement. Dr. Dickerson adds that patients who have TMD and do not know it often see physicians about their discomfort, when, instead, a trip to a neuromuscular dentist is in order. “Traditional training for doc- tors or dentists does not prepare them to understand, evaluate and balance the jaw muscles,” he says. “Advanced training in neuromus- cular dentistry is critical in being able to resolve chronic pain.” Only 5 percent of the world’s dentists are trained in neuro- muscular dentistry. To locate one or to learn more, visit www.leadingdentists.com.
