Dr. Nelson Can Help You with Sleep Apnea, TMJ Issues
and Craniofacial Pain!

In the course of his daily orthodontic practice Dr. Nelson noticed an increase in the patients coming in looking for relief from TMJ or Craniofacial pain, and requests for oral sleep appliances. There were really no good resources for help for patients, so Dr. Nelson  enrolled in and completed  a residency program to learn how to treat TMJ and craniofacial pain.  He has also completed a certification program to treat sleep disorders. He has implemented these modalities  into his practice and is delighted to be able to help patients become pain free and healthy.

TMJ and craniofacial pain typically result from jaw para-function, bite discrepancy or damage to the jaw joint and can be very painful. Jaw locking, clicking, facial pain and headaches are common symptoms of problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Physicians are often unsure  how to effectively treat the pain and unclear how to correct the problem. Since orthodontists are focused on the jaw, bite, and teeth, it makes perfect sense for them to treat all of the related issues. Dr. Nelson is one of only a handful of orthodontists in the area qualified to treat these areas in addition to doing braces and creating beautiful smiles.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has recently come to the forefront of medical diagnostics as studies have

shown the health complications related to undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorder.  Research has shown that OSA is also common in children, and can contribute to health issues such as hyperactivity, ADD, heart irregularities, headaches, breathing difficulty, and inadequate growth.  Historically adult OSA has been treated with a CPAP mask which provides positive air flow into the nose and mouth during all phases of sleep. Many patients simply cannot tolerate CPAP and end up discontinuing treatment; a potentially dangerous decision. Oral appliances have come to the rescue. These appliances provide some of the most advanced, non-invasive, FDA approved treatment available. Results using oral appliances have been very successful. Restful sleep, decreased fatigue, increased energy, weight loss and decreased blood pressure have been commonly reported. Dr. Nelson and Trinity Orthodontics are skilled at making custom oral appliances and executing therapies to help sleep patients.

Braces? Of course we still specialize in precision bracket placement (PBP) which reduces the guesswork in bracket placement,  lessens treatment time by helping teeth move to their ideal positions over a shorter period of time, and fewer adjustment appointments resulting in less time missed from work or school. Bottom line; Trinity is constantly producing beautiful smiles that can last a lifetime.