Category Archives: Dental News

Improve Your Workouts And Lessen TMJ Pain With Six Exercises

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Mariano Rocabado, DPT is a physical therapist who specializes in problems with the head, neck and spines. His work with Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ or TMD) is very extensive, and he developed an exercise program that is taught to all over the world to address postural relationships with the head to neck, neck to shoulders and lower jaw to upper jaw. The objective of this home exercise program is for patients to learn a new postural position, fight the soft tissue memory of the old position, restore the original muscle length-tension relationships, restore normal joint mobility and restore normal body balance.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a term which encompasses inflammatory disorders of the jaw. Symptoms of TMJ may include headache, earache, neck pain, jaw tenderness and clicking or aching facial muscles. TMJ usually occurs when the muscles used for chewing and your jaw joint are out of balance.  The cause of TMJ is most commonly improper alignment of your teeth, and is exacerbated by stress and tooth grinding.

What is most interesting is that when the body’s posture is corrected, amazing things happen with regard to strength, flexibility and balance.  Similarly, there are bite appliances which place the jaw in its “physiologic” neuromuscular position.  Such appliances are used not only to treat TMJ but are also worn by athletes of all kinds to improve their performance – golfers, basketball players, football players, etc.  I have seen demonstrations of such “instant” improvements and they are amazing.  Feel free to ask me for a demonstration the next time that you visit the office.

I began using one of these exercises during my workouts in cycle classes which I have grown to love.  These spin classes have been the core of my cardiovascular exercise for many years now.  Proper posture improves performance while exercising and playing sports, and I find that that there is a simple maneuver to help ensure good body position to allow me to get the most of my workouts.  It’s the last exercise in the series described below.

Rocabado advocates that the program be performed by the patient at home, and it consists of six different exercises and six repetitions of each exercise, performed six times per day until symptoms subside. The Rocabado exercises emphasize correct postural position and help to combat the soft tissue memory of your old posture. Perform the exercises one after the other until your session is complete. It will take about one minute.

The six exercises:

  1. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Position the tip just behind your teeth and take six deep breaths.
  2. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth and open and close your mouth six times.
  3. Your tongue remains on the roof of your mouth and two fingers are placed on the chin to open your mouth against gentle resistance. Following that, place your fingers on both sides of your jaw and move the jaw sideways six times.
  4. Place your hands behind your neck and bend your chin down as if nodding your head.
  5. Move your chin down and back as if making a double chin.
  6. Finally, correct your posture by lifting your ribs and chest upward while squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Perform six repetitions of these exercises six times a day.

Give these exercises a try.  If you feel pain while performing these exercises, stop doing them and consider calling us to arrange a TMJ screening or consultation about your symptoms.  If you have questions, feel free to call us at 908.359.6655 or send us an email via our website at www.DesignsForDentalHealth.com

Dr. Nadler is writing a BOOK! Put your “2 Cents” in!

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Have you always wanted to put your “2 cents” in on a book that was being written?  Well, Dr. Nadler would love your help!

He is writing a book for dental patients with the working title of:

Transform Your Life With A Smile, The Book on Designing Life-Changing Smiles

Please use the comment space below to:

  • What topics you would you think would be of interest in such a book?
  • Are there any specific questions which you would like to see addressed?
  • And, Finally, how do you feel that a healthy and beautiful smile can impact your life?

To thank you for your invaluable input, Dr. Nadler will give each person who puts in their “2 Cents” with an autographed copy of the book!

Dental Benefits Encourage Overall Health

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Employee benefit plans usually focus on health insurance, but a recent article from Benefits Pro highlights the health benefits of dental plans.  Those with dental insurance are twice as likely to maintain a schedule of regular cleanings and dental examinations, which can actually cut the cost of medical coverage in the long term, because of the relationship between proper dental hygiene and overall health.  According to the article:

“Diabetes, heart disease, blindness and pregnancy complications can all be affected by dental hygiene and impact overall health costs. In fact, the National Institute of Health estimated in 2007 that $174 billion in direct and indirect expenses were created by diabetics, and those suffering from diabetes are 2.3 times more likely to have higher medical costs than people without diabetes. The diabetic population is growing, Sherman says, but with good oral hygiene, it is easier to control one’s insulin levels.”

Besides the ability to cut costs on medical coverage through better overall health, dental plans also assure that an employee is less likely to have a dental emergency and be in pain or leave work, as they may if they have not had the proper preventive care.

To learn more about how dental benefits encourage better overall health, READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY BENEFITSPRO

UN Mercury Free Treaty Seeks to Phase Out Metal Amalgam

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Mercury Free Dentistry May Soon Be Required By UN Treaty

Mercury Free Dentistry

Dr. Nadler has offered only mercury free dentistry for over 20 years!

The American Dental Association officially states that the mercury in amalgam fillings is safe. Be that as it may, our office has taken no chances with your health, having offered only metal-free fillings for the past twenty plus years. While several countries have banned the use of amalgam fillings, its use in the U.S. is still prevalent. A recent report by the Concord East/West consulting firm stating that 32 tons of dental mercury is used annually in the U.S. Besides possible health effects, there is concern over the environmental impact of amalgam fillings. According to the E.P.A., “approximately 50 percent of mercury entering local waste treatment plants comes from dental amalgam waste”, costing taxpayers an additional $41 per filling for environmental costs, cleanup and waste treatment.

However, all of this may soon change. As reported by foxnews.com, by next year, the United Nations Environmental Programme will have completed the text of a legally binding, global treaty on mercury pollution. The treaty is supported by the U.S. State Department, and will serve to phase out the use of products containing mercury. Amalgam fillings on are on the treaty’s list of products to be phased out. If the treaty passes all dentists may be facing a global mandate to stop the use of silver amalgam fillings completely.

The treaty and the phase out of amalgam in dental restorations are not without controversy. The treaty is supported by organizations such as the World Health Organization, but others see it as a scare tactic used simply to enforce further regulations. There is ongoing debate among dental and other health professionals about the possible health risks of mercury exposure from amalgam fillings and whether the mercury present in the fillings is enough to cause any risk.

If the treaty passes, whether or not there are in fact health risks related to the use of mercury in fillings, dentists across the country and the entire world will be affected and forced to change their treatment choices. The ADA “has expressed the view that any proposed ‘phase-down’ of dental amalgam should be linked to a ‘phase-up’ of dental preventive programs. We have also focused on the safety of dental amalgam, the need for further dental materials research and the proper management of dental amalgam waste”, addressing both health and environmental factors in its response.

The next conference of the UNEP to discuss the progress of the “mercury free treaty” will be held in June.

LINKS AND RESOURCES

Read more about the proposed U.N. “mercury-free” treaty 

More on the environmental impacts of mercury fillings from the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

ADA Leadership Report response to the UN treaty meetings

NOTE: Originally posted April 24th, 2012