by Dr. Mark Duncan (NAPSA)—Headaches, are, well, a real headache for America. An estimated 157 million workdays are lost annually to migraine headache pain and more than 45 million Americans suffer from headache pain severe enough for them to seek help from a physician. Fortunately, for a growing numberof headachepain sufferers, relief can be found in an unexpected place: the dentist’s chair. The Problem In many cases, headache pain is caused by a poor bite known as temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorder (TMD), commonly referred to as TMJ. TMD causes migraines and tension headaches, tooth grinding, breathing problems and sleep disorders as well as facial pain, neck, shoulder and back pain, clicking or popping in the jaw and limited jaw movement. These problems—even those longterm issues that were previously unresolved—can be alleviated without the use of painkillers thanks to the work of specially trained neuromusculardentists. An Answer TMDistreatable. Here’s how: First, a specially trained neuromuscular dentist does a comprehensive evaluation, including a computer analysis of your jaw muscles, to find the jaw’s optimal position. *Then, a jaw-repositioning orthotic—which looks like an athlete’s mouth guard—is used to temporarily maintain this new relaxed position. Patients often report pain they have endured for many years dissipates or even goes awayentirely in a matter of days. Dr. Mark Duncan says fixing your jaw maytake a bite out of headachepain. *Finally, the patient can befitted with crowns and veneers to permanently hold the new painfree jaw position. Manypatients report almost immediate pain relief and end up with a beautiful smile that can help restore their confidence personally and professionally. Learn More Only 5 percent of the world’s dentists are trained in neuromuscular dentistry, but they can be found. For more information and to locate a specially trained neuromuscular dentist near you, visit www.leadingdentists.com or call (702) 341-7978. Dr. Duncan, DDS, LVIF is a clinical director at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). He holds diplomat status with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and was recently elected to the board of directors of the International Association of Comprehensive Aesthetics.
