Thoughts of Eleanor Roosevelt
My first video blog!
Do that thing you cannot do. Go out and do it today!
My first video blog!
Do that thing you cannot do. Go out and do it today!
When was the last time you watched (or pulled) in a Tug of War? Did you notice the rope? It was probably pulled so tight it looked more like a bar of iron!
Some people get muscles pulled that tightly in their head! Understandably, this can lead to some whopper headaches. Let’s look at how this might happen…
Your lower jaw hinges on two points, which together we call the Temporomandibular Joint, or TMJ. Each side of the lower jaw has a football shaped end that fits into a socket in the base of your skull. There is also a small disk that keeps the bones from hitting each other; think of a Teflon pad to keep things moving smoothly. There are major muscles that pull your lower jaw up, bringing your teeth together, so you can chew your food. When you are not eating, but resting your teeth and jaw, the footballs should rest comfortably in their sockets.
When you close your teeth together, you have a favorite “bite” where all the points and grooves fit together ideally. In a perfect world, when you are in this position, the footballs are in their most comfortable position too. But too often, both can’t be happy at the same time, and a war breaks out. Some muscles want to pull the jaw up and back so the footballs are happy, and other muscles want to pull the jaw forward to make the teeth mesh together better. See the Tug of War starting? When these muscles are continually fighting each other, many problems start up, but often the most noticeable is HEADACHE!
There are some relatively simple techniques we can use to see if you have headaches caused by this type of Tug of War. The solutions may be surprisingly easy too! So if you or those you know have chronic headaches, give us a call!
Many people think fluoride is just for kids… that once their permanent teeth are in, fluoride has no further benefits. Well, let’s play MythBusters here and debunk this misunderstanding!
Here is an easy way to think of some of the benefits fluoride can provide for all teeth, whether they are attached to adults or children:
Cavity reduction. This is probably the best known benefit of fluoride treatments.
Antimicrobial action. A fancy way of saying interfering with microorganisms which do your teeth harm!
Reinforcing enamel. By Remineralization of tooth structure, making it more resistant to decay (see “C” above)
Desensitizing teeth. Stronger teeth can be less sensitive teeth.
Fluoride is brought to an ideal concentration in most city water systems. This systemic fluoride intake is valuable, especially for developing teeth. The American Dental Association recommends additional fluoride treatments be applied to the teeth of people in medium to higher risk categories for dental decay. This includes people who have had new cavities or decay around old fillings within the last three years. If a person has not had either of those problems, maybe fluoride treatments can help them avoid them!
So in short, we see the value in fluoride treatments for all teeth! So… we now offer to CARD all adults!
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