What is TMD?
TMD stands for temporo-mandibular dysfunction and is collection of different jaw problems that affect how the jaw joint hinges and slides. Some people are aware of a popping or a little clicking that they hear in their jaw joint while for others there could be pain upon biting or just a sense of a bad bite or muscle pain on the side of the face.
Can my posture affect my bite?
Learn more at www.caugheydds.com Remember that old song, the leg bone is connected to knee bone? Well, your teeth are connected to your jaw which is connected to your neck and how you hold the posture in your upper body and in your neck will definitely effect how your teeth touch. For example, if I lean my head out forward like this and bite, I’m bound to put more pressure on my front teeth Whereas if I pull back I may feel it somewhere else. A lot of times, addressing issues that we have with neck posture may need to happen before we begin to balance a bite — sometimes the reverse is true. The only way to know is to have a thorough exam that involves both, and we offer that here.
Can my teeth be causing my earache?
There are a couple of ways your teeth may cause pain in your ear.
What is T-scan?
What is the T-Scan? The T-Scan is a computerized teeth biting tool that measures the timing and force distribution of a patient’s bite as they close together. Ideally, a patient’s bite will come together so that their left and right teeth come together at the same time with the front teeth touching just a little lighter than the back seat. The T-Scan is capable of picking up the tiniest differences between right and left sides even in a bite that seems balance. It’s also very helpful to creating a very harmonious bite across different types of teeth bridges crowns or implants.
What is joint vibration analysis?
What is the JVA? The JVA or Joint Vibration Analysis machine is a small set of headphones which we place in front of the patient’s ears. But instead of the patient listening to music, this small sensor will pick up vibrations inside the patient’s jaw joint. Healthy jaw joints make very little friction as you open and close and they really don’t have very much vibration, whereas a damaged joint depending on the kind of damage will make a very different type of vibration that is picked up. Based on the type of damage we see we can determine whether any other imaging like an MRI or CT scan is necessary to come to a thorough diagnosis.
Do I need a night guard?
Can a dentist treat snoring and sleep apnea?
Dr. Caughey has received specialized training to screen, treat or refer her patients who show symptoms of sleep disordered breathing. This video is a very short explanation of how she can help people through dental appliance therapy.
Can my tooth sensitivity be related to my bite?
T-Scan occlusal analysis for sensitive teeth Dr Caughey: “I’m sure that one of the most frustrating things for a patient go through is to have a tooth that is sensitive and the dentist can’t find what the problem is. There are things are very hard to see and then they’re also things that take a long time show up. For example, a tooth that has been under trauma for a long time can develop a crack and that crack may be visible on the biting surface but as you go deeper it becomes almost invisible as it becomes microscopic. A tooth like that will show up pretty quickly on the T-Scan as a person bites on the tooth, the crack engages and that elicits the response from the nerve. So the T-Scan is a great way to find a problem like that.” www.caugheydds.com
Can my bite be causing my gum disease?
T-Scan and periodontal disease While your baby teeth should get loose right before they fall out, your permanent teeth should stay tight in their sockets your whole life. When teeth have become loose because of periodontal disease, one thing that is sure to make them looser, faster is having occlusal trauma or having a bite that loads the teeth incorrectly. We use the T-Scan in our practice to determine what happens with a tooth-to-tooth contact before the vulnerable teeth are pressed out and away from their boney socket.