BILATERAL FIXED OCCLUSAL SPLINTS  (BUILDUPS)

One of the most important things we do in our practice is the treatment of TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorders, TMD)  These problems can cause the mandible to lock closed and the joint to click and pop.  This can cause extreme pain and suffering.  The TMJ is the most complicated joint in the entire body.  When you open about half way the joint acts like a ball and socket joint, just like your knee or elbow.  Then when you open past halfway your lower jaw has to actually slide forward.  The lower jaw moves "out of the socket".  This is the only joint in the body that does that.   It also  has three areas of articulation:  1.  the right joint 2.  the left joint 3.  the bite and the teeth.  If any of these three are out of balance then the whole system is out of balance and then the problems begin.  When we start orthodontic treatment in our office we place mounds of blue glue on the biting surfaces of the lower first molar teeth to separate the teeth.  This removes this third part of the chewing system so that the TMJs can move into their ideal positions without the interference of the bad bite.  As the bite comes together we remove these splints so that we can make the bite as perfect as possible.  These are a very annoying part of the treatment, but is probably one of the most important things we can do for the health of the jaws and bite.

Letter from Dr. Nelson

I have just returned from a national symposium on sleep apnea (February 2014) . Most of the speakers were experts in sleep apnea from the medical field. Ear, Nose and Throat specialists, Pulmonologists, Neurologists and Pharmacologists. They all discussed the importance of collaboration amongst dentists and the medical physicians to effectively treat this life threatening disease. They informed us that a research study from the National Institute of Health (NIH) showed that untreated sleep apnea decreased a person's life by 10 years! The dangers of untreated sleep apnea include high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, headache, extreme sleepiness and cognitive impairment, relationship dysfunction and overall decrease in the quality of life.

Many car accidents are the result of people falling asleep at the wheel. In fact, patients with untreated sleep apnea have a 10 times higher chance of a car accident than patients that do not have sleep apnea. This also translates to accidents in the workplace as well.

Being excessively tired leads to the inability to deal with the demands of work, family and every day life due to impairments in cognitive functioning. Recent research shows that children with untreated sleep apnea have a lower IQ than kids that do not have it. Research needs to be done to see if this lowering of the IQ is permanent or improves with treatment.

Childhood sleep apnea has only recently come the forefront of medicine. It has not really made it to the dental profession yet, but is getting there. Many children have obstructed nasal airways from structural defects in the nose, allergies swelling the nasal mucosa so much that they cannot breath through their nose, narrow upper jaw (maxilla) causing narrowing of the nasal passages just to name a few. Chronically enlarged tonsils and adenoids is one of the main causes. Inability to breath causes unfavorable changes in facial growth patterns as well. Pediatric sleep apnea can typically be treated by removal of the tonsils and adenoids. Orthodontic expansion of the palate is also needed many times in order to improve nasal breathing. Sometimes nasal surgery is needed to open the airway.

Untreated sleep apnea in children can lead to changes in facial growth, obesity, cognitive disturbances causing poor school performance and behavioral problems. Many children are diagnosed with ADHD then treated with a stimulant drug known as Ritalin.

Proper diagnosis and treatment for adults and children with sleep apnea is imperative. It could save your life and definitely improve the quality of your life. We are committed to educating our patients about the problem and the treatments we provide to help you live a better life. Now that is something to smile about! God bless you.