A dental ALF reduces obstructive sleep apnea! WHAT? HOW? OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous condition that occurs during sleep, wherein a person’s breathing decreases to the point of preventing air flow to the lungs. There are varying degrees of obstructive sleep apnea, and varying causes. One such cause is a restriction…
Read MoreUsing a splint as a tongue retraining program can be a challenge. Bite splints are indicated for a number of reasons, and one such is a R TMCC pattern with a loss of cervical lordosis. Guiding the patient to have smooth easy protrusive movement over a mandibular splint can create a healthy cervical lordotic curve,…
Read MorePRI (Postural Restoration Institute) featured Dr Caughey’s interview on its website! As a PRI enthusiast, I was overwhelmed with pride to be invited to be invited to speak at the 2017 Annual Interdisclipinary Symposium https://www.posturalrestoration.com/programs-courses/annual-symposium/interdisciplinary-integration – but Wow! What an honor to be recently interviewed by PRI, much less to have the interview featured on their…
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As a 17 year long member of the Georgia Dental Association, Dr Caughey attended at the GDA Annual Meeting in an enjoyable way; sharing community and learning with local colleagues. This year Dr. Caughey was invited to speak to the audience on the relationship of bite splint designs and their effect on the cervical spine (neck)…
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Making a splint for a patient with a scissors bite follows the same principles as in most other cases. A scissors bite is also called a buccal cross bite, wherein the maxillary molar is more than halfway across the mandibular molar; the lingual (tongue-side) cusp of the upper molar is touching the buccal (cheek-side) surface…
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First and foremost, many patients demonstrating symptoms of R TMCC patterning will NOT need dental intervention! But it is helpful to know how to recognize those who will. We hope this stepwise chart will aid in decision making. STEP 1: LOCATION OF SYMPTOMS FROM HISTORY Headache – almost always! Neck pain – possibly. Depends on…
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The idea of wearing a lower bite splint is a challenge for patients with a significant gag reflex, particularly if their gag reflex is stimulated by anything touching the side of the tongue. The Gag Reflex (or pharyngeal reflex) is a hypersensitivity to anything touching the muscles involved with swallowing – the soft palate, the…
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It was a complete honor to be asked to lecture about the effect of a splint on a neck at the 2017 PRI annual symposium. While I have been practicing and teaching splint therapy at the Pankey Institute for 10+ years, the exact effect that these dental bite splints has on the neck is not commonly…
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I’ve been busily pouring through the available scientific literature in preparation for this Annual Symposium in April 2017. What amazes me is the vast nature of the literature – scientists spending their lives investigating a subject from so many different angles. As a community, we are getting closer all the time to understanding what keeps…
Read MoreMany patients who find their way to our practice will ultimately be recommended to have postural therapy in conjunction with traditional TMJ therapy. This video was created by Voices of America and gives a great overview of what Postural Restoration Institute concepts are all about!
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